Sei Shonagon

Sei Shonagon is the writer of The Pillow Book. She is a thirty-year-old lady-in-waiting to the Empress of Japan. In relation to many of the female courtiers, she is old, but she is very quick-witted and she is sought after because she is such good company and so entertaining. She begins writing the Pillow Book when the Empress gives her some notebooks that were found lying around the palace. Nobody else wanted them, so Sei Shonagon began writing down her daily observations and ideas.

Shonagon is from a well-bred family. Her elder brother Norimitsu is also a member of the court. One of her distinguishing attributes, however, is her literary talent. She is very clever and quick-witted and she has memorized a great deal of poetry in addition to writing poems for special occasions or daily discource. She seems to be a favorite of the Empress's, but...