author
Murasaki Shikibu
A court insider from Japan’s Heian era, she created The Tale of Genji, a work often described as the world’s first novel. Her writing brings palace life into vivid focus, mixing keen observation with emotional depth that still feels modern.
5 Audiobooks
Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan
by Izumi Shikibu, Murasaki Shikibu, Sugawara no Takasue no Musume
The tale of Genji
by Murasaki Shikibu
The sacred tree : Being the second part of 'The tale of Genji'
by Murasaki Shikibu
A wreath of cloud : Being the third part of 'The tale of Genji'
by Murasaki Shikibu
Blue trousers : Being the fourth part of 'The tale of Genji'
by Murasaki Shikibu
About the author
Born around 973 and active in the early 11th century, Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese writer, poet, and lady-in-waiting at the imperial court during the Heian period. Her personal name is unknown; “Murasaki Shikibu” is the name by which she came to be known later.
She is best remembered as the author of The Tale of Genji, written in Japanese around the start of the 1000s and widely regarded as one of the great classics of world literature. The novel draws on the refined world of court life she knew firsthand, and it is admired for its psychological insight, elegance, and close attention to human relationships.
She also left behind a diary and poetry that help readers glimpse the culture of her time. Even after a thousand years, her work remains central to Japanese literature and continues to shape how readers around the world think about the novel as an art form.