The Murasaki Shikibu Prize is a Japanese literary award awarded annually to an outstanding piece of literature in Japanese by a female author. It was established in 1991 by the city of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture in honor of Murasaki Shikibu's deep connection to the city of Uji. It awards a cash prize of 2 million yen, as well as a bronze statuette.

Hiromi Kawakami is a Japanese writer known for her off-beat fiction, poetry, and literary criticism. She has won numerous Japanese literary awards, including the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, the Yomiuri Prize, and the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature. Her work has been adapted for film, and has been translated into more than 15 languages.