The Pillow Book - Sei Shōnagon

Written by the Court gentlewoman Sei Shōnagon (c. 966-1017) ostensibly for her own amusement, “The Pillow Book” is one of the greatest works of Japanese literature. A fascinating exploration of life amongst the nobility at the height of the idyllic Heian period, it describes the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion and whim dominated, and harsh reality was kept firmly at a distance. In sections ranging in size from brief reflections to longer, lyrical tales, Shōnagon moves elegantly across a wide range of themes including nature, society and her own flirtations and frustrations, to provide a witty, unique and deeply personal insight into a woman’s life at Court in classical Japan.