The Tale of the World’s First Novelist: Murasaki Shikibu

The Woman Who Wrote the World’s First Novel.

Step behind the silk screens of 11th-century Heian Japan and discover the extraordinary life of Murasaki Shikibu. Born an ambitious scholar in a society that forbade female learning, Murasaki channeled her grief and forbidden knowledge into The Tale of Genji-the monumental work that pioneered the psychological novel.

This definitive history charts her path from secluded widowhood to becoming a key literary attendant in the Imperial Court, revealing how she captured the ephemeral sadness of mono no aware and redefined human consciousness on the page. Approx.182 pages, 32300 word count