A message from our Team
The Genji Project
We had two choices: wait for the world to change, or create a little of that change ourselves…
Everyone here at Genji & Co., our literary startup, grew up in a cosmopolitan, multicultural society. We think of ourselves as world citizens, in a sense: when the borders were open, we had a real appetite for travel and new experiences. This year, with the borders closed, it became clear to us that we could use our curiosity and our wanderlust in different ways, so we decided to come together to create our own space, motivated by what we love, what we miss, and what we each want to share.
The Genji Project is just that: our space. Dear Readers, it’s your space, too.
It’s a place where we find and illuminate stories that reflect everyone’s experiences, and in so doing, publish stories that are universal. After all, we’re sharing this planet. Our story is everyone’s story.
Our team brings together GBE’s – Good Book Enthusiasts – from many walks of life: from journalism and law, science and tech. We are all committed to creating something new and meaningful in the universe of books, bearing in mind that the universe is infinite, with room for everyone.
More than creating a new channel for showcasing our carefully curated “couture” literature, emphasizing quality over quantity, we are determined to stand for something that genuinely matters. We believe that inclusivity matters, and we are committed to creating a brand that promotes sustainability above all things. This is why our business is proudly paperless, all in the name of conserving wildlife and protecting our environment by being carbon neutral.
This year has been one of challenges; but I heard someone say recently that it is also the year of rising to challenges. We chose our challenges – diversity, sustainability, inclusive storytelling – and this is how we are choosing to rise to meet each one.
We hope that you enjoy our stories – and we hope that as we grow as a brand, you will all share your stories with us.
The Tale of Genji & Co.
All we wanted was to create a new channel for great books…
Our thinking was simple: it’s a big world out there, and books should reflect that, with a range of voices and perspectives showing the world through the eyes of everyone who happens to live on this planet.
That’s essentially the inception of Genji & Co.
We are committed to diversity, to building our environmentally friendly publishing channel, and to reflecting the real world in all its variety. We take part of our name from Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji, widely believed to be the first novel ever written: in Japan, by a woman, addressing everything from court etiquette to love, spirituality, and philosophy.
Our company is about connecting the world, so Genji & Co. reflects our intention to create a truly international company, with stories for and about us all.
We are headquartered in beautiful Sydney, Australia, and from our base, we are connecting with the rest of our world; and yours.
Our 2021 collection
The Eva Melder Collection:
Cosmopolitan, warm, heartfelt and sincere, this collection explores life, love, family and fate in all its many and varied 21st century incarnations.
The Isa Shirokawa Collection:
Poetic, philosophical, intelligent elegance encounters original storytelling in a carefully curated collection that is as exciting and urgent as it is dreamy and beautiful.
The Aaron Tanimura Collection:
Storytelling that reflects a world caught between the East and the West, this collection is surprising, current, provocative, and always entertaining.
Biographies:
Eva Melder:
Eva Melder is a Sydneysider with strong Eurasian roots and a background in law and journalism. The Sun Queen is her debut novel, and she is also the author of The Very Thought of You, as well as the upcoming Women Without Men and The Blue Note. Eva lives in Sydney and travels often to Singapore.
Isa Shirokawa:
Notes on a Haunting is the debut novel from Isa Shirokawa, a deeply private writer passionate about her Japanese heritage, literature, travel, photography, and film.
Aaron Tanimura:
Paperback Writer is a novel by a writer who finds it impossible to stop thinking about writing, rock music, travel and good books; and Aaron Tanimura hopes that you enjoy this book very much since it was an absolute blast to write, and it’s one of those books that really comes from the heart.