Murasaki Shikibu

Murasaki Shikibu (born c. 978, Kyōto, Japan—died c. 1014, Kyōto) was a Japanese writer and lady-in-waiting who was the author of the Genji monogatari (c. 1010; The Tale of Genji), generally considered the greatest work of Japanese literature and thought to be the world’s oldest full novel. The author’s real name is unknown; it is conjectured that she acquired the sobriquet of Murasaki from the name of the heroine of her novel, and the name...