Arthur Waley

Born in 1889, this English orientalist and sinologist became one of the twentieth century’s great literary translators. He is especially known for bringing classical Chinese and Japanese poetry and prose to a wide English-speaking audience, helping readers discover works that had rarely been encountered in such vivid, readable form.

He worked at the British Museum early in his career and taught himself Chinese and Japanese to a remarkably high level. His translations included A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems, The Tale of Genji, and the much-loved Monkey, his version of Journey to the West. Reference works such as Encyclopaedia Britannica and Wikipedia both describe his influence as reaching beyond scholarship into modern English literary culture.

He died in 1966, but his work still feels alive: clear, elegant, and inviting rather than dusty or remote. For many readers, he remains an ideal guide to the richness of classical Asian literature.