Sei Shōnagon (清少納言), (965-1010s?) was a Japanese author and a court lady who served the Empress Consort Teishi The Pillow Book (枕草子, Makura no Sōshi) is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Empress Sadako during the 990s and early 1000s in Heian Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002.

In it she included lists of all kinds, personal thoughts, interesting events in court, poetry and some opinions on her contemporaries. While it is mostly a personal work, Shōnagon's writing and poetic skill makes it interesting as a work of literature, and it is valuable as an historical document. Part of it was revealed to the Court by accident during Shōnagon's life. The book has been translated into English by Ivan Morris in 1967 and in 2006 by Meredith McKinney.

There is a film of the same name by director Peter Greenaway, which deals with a contemporary story but references the literary work.

A pillow book is a collection of notebooks or notes which have been collated to show a period of someone or something's life. Aidan Chambers' novel This Is All, the Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn is based on the concept of the pillow book. In the case of the fictional character Cordelia Kenn, it shows her life and thoughts so that her daughter can relive her past.

References

• id="CITEREFSei ShōnagonMcKinney (translator)2006">Sei Shōnagon & Meredith McKinney (translator) (2006), The Pillow Book, London, UK: Penguin Books, ISBN 0-140-44806-3
  • id="CITEREFSei ShōnagonMorris (translator)1971">Sei Shōnagon & Ivan Morris (translator) (1971), The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon, London, UK: Penguin Books, ISBN 0-140-44236-7. Originally published in 1967 by Columbia University Press.

    External links

    • The Pillow Book online

    See also

    • The Tale of Genji
    • Japanese Poetic Diaries
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    A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a noble court, attending to a queen, a princess or other noblewoman. A lady-in-waiting is often a noblewoman of lower rank (i.e., a lesser noble) than the one she attends to, and is not considered a servant or other commoner.
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    Ivan Ira Esme Morris (29 November 1925 – 19 July 1976) was a British author and teacher in the field of Japanese Studies.
    
    Ivan Morris was born in London to Ira Victor Morris and Edita Morris.
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    The Pillow Book is a 1996 film by UK director Peter Greenaway, which stars Vivian Wu as Nagiko, a Japanese model in search of pleasure and new cultural experience from various lovers.
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    Peter Greenaway, CBE (born 5 April 1942) is a Welsh-born English ^[1] film director.

    Career

    Peter Greenaway was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom, and grew up in Essex, England. His family left South Wales when he was three years old.
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    Aidan Chambers (born 27 December, 1934 near Chester-le-Street, County Durham) is an author of children's and young adults' fiction. His works include Breaktime, Dance on My Grave, Now I Know, The Toll Bridge, Postcards from No Man's Land
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    Poetic diary, or Japanese poetic diary, is an English term coined by the Princeton University scholar/translator Earl Miner in his book, Japanese Poetic Diaries.
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