Kate Shanahan

I published Tangled Spirits: A Novel in 2022 after spending three years on the research and writing of it. It's a time-slip historical novel set in tenth century Japan, and is based on historical events and figures from Heian Period Japan, including the author of the world's first novel, Murasaki Shikibu, who wrote Tale of Genji in the years 1000 to 1020, and Sei Shonagon, who wrote The Pillow Book, a diary of court life filled with modern-feeling listicles and witty observations (think Twitter or Buzzfeed) in the years 995 to 1002. The main character is an American college student who slips back in time. I'm currently working on a sequel, and the storyline will draw on Japanese folktales.