Murasaki's World

Murasaki Shikibu lived in a court that prized refinement above almost everything. A person's worth was measured by their skill at composing poetry on the spot, choosing the right seasonal reference, and signaling emotion through the fragrance of their robes and the beauty of their handwriting.

She wrote The Tale of Genji by brush and ink, in a world with no printing press. It spread in handwritten copies passed among court women, who sometimes altered the text as they copied. A woman wrote the world's first novel in a court that barred women from serious literary Chinese.