Alfred Birnbaum translated many of Haruki Murakami's early novels including A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Natsuki Ikezawa's A Burden of Flowers and The Navidad Affair, and Miyuki MIyabe's All She Was Worth. His co-translation of Murakami's Underground-awarded the 2001 Sawagawa Foundation Translation Award, and his co-translation of Nu Nu Yi's Smile as They Bow was short-listed for the 2007 Man Asia Literature Award.