Nahoko Uehashi is a popular Japanese writer whose works are loved by young and adult readers alike. She has received numerous accolades, including the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Nahoko has studied Indigenous peoples in Australia and worked for many years as a fulltime professor of cultural anthropology, in which she earned a PhD. Recently, she has reduced her teaching responsibilities to devote more time to her writing. Her books include The Beast Player and the multivolume Moribito series, and she lives near Tokyo, Japan.