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Murasaki Shikibu

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Female forward: An illustration of Murasaki Shikibu, who lived in Japan from about 973 to 1014, writing The Tale of Genji, a court romance some consider the world’s first novel. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)
ACTON BELL

What’s in a name, a novel?

Women writers have often been treated badly but the first novel was written by one

  • Darryl Accone
8 min read