Lady Izumi Shikibu: Her Life (DELUXE HARDCOVER)

Lady Izumi Shikibu: Her Life tells the remarkable story of one of the greatest women writers of Japan’s Heian period. Poet, court lady, lover, wife, mother, and eventually a woman confronting age, loss, and the impermanence of life, Izumi lived at the center of the extraordinary literary culture of the imperial court more than a thousand years ago. Drawing upon historical sources, contemporary writings, and Izumi’s own poetry, this richly illustrated biography follows her from her uncertain early years through her marriages and celebrated love affairs, her service at the court of Empress Shōshi, the death of those closest to her, and the spiritual concerns that increasingly shaped her later life. Original artwork, historical context, and Izumi’s own waka bring both the woman and the vanished world of Heian-kyō to life.

This Deluxe Hardcover Edition transforms the volume into a special collector’s book. Produced as a bespoke edition, it features distinctive bamboo-patterned page edging and an integral green ribbon bookmark, giving the finished volume an elegance appropriate to Izumi’s life and the refined visual culture of the Heian court. Designed to be held, displayed, and returned to over many years, the deluxe presentation complements the book’s illustrations, poetry, historical material, and carefully composed pages and makes this the finest physical edition of Her Life.

For readers of Japanese history and literature, admirers of women’s writing, collectors of beautifully produced books, or anyone wishing to discover the remarkable woman behind the poetry and diary, this Deluxe Hardcover Edition offers the most complete presentation of Lady Izumi Shikibu: Her Life.