Murasaki Shikibu

~978–~1014 · Japanese (Heian-era Kyoto) · Heian Period, Classical Japan

Known for: Author of The Tale of Genji, widely considered the world's first novel

Murasaki Shikibu—a pen name, as her real name is unknown—was a lady-in-waiting at the Heian Japanese imperial court who wrote The Tale of Genji around 1000 CE, six centuries before the European novel emerged. She was well-educated, having secretly learned Chinese (considered improper for women), widowed young, and keenly observant of the elaborate court life around her.

The Tale of Genji runs to 54 chapters and explores the romantic and political life of Prince Genji with psychological subtlety unmatched for centuries. She wrote in the Japanese phonetic script (kana) because women were excluded from Chinese-character scholarship. Her diary reveals a woman who was intelligent, introverted, and somewhat disdainful of her peers.

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