Murasaki Shikibu

Who is Murasaki Shikibu?

Murasaki Shikibu was a novelist, poet, and lady-in-waiting at the imperial court during Japan's Heian period. Born into a minor branch of the powerful Fujiwara clan, she received an unusually thorough education for a woman of her time, learning Chinese classics alongside her brother. After the early death of her husband, she entered the service of Empress Shōshi. She is best known as the author of Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji), widely regarded as the world's first psychological novel and a supreme work of Japanese literature. The sprawling narrative follows the life, loves, and political fortunes of the nobleman Hikaru Genji and his descendants, offering an intimate portrait of Heian aristocratic society. She also left behind a poetic diary, the Murasaki Shikibu Nikki, which records court life and her own observations. Her real name is unknown; 'Murasaki' derives from a character in her novel.

Sources: Murasaki Shikibu, Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji), early 11th century · Murasaki Shikibu, Murasaki Shikibu Nikki (The Diary of Lady Murasaki) · Edward G. Seidensticker (trans.), The Tale of Genji, 1976