Nanami Shiono (born 1937) is a Japanese writer specializing in the history of Italy and the Mediterranean world. After graduating from Gakushuin University with a degree in philosophy, she studied Italian history and culture in Italy and began her writing career in 1968. Her books use narrative history to examine the decisions of political and military leaders, the institutions of states, and the rise and decline of cities and empires. Her major work, “Roma-jin no Monogatari” (“The Story of the Roman People”), traces approximately one thousand years of Roman history, from the founding of the Republic to the fall of the Empire, across fifteen volumes. She was named a Person of Cultural Merit in 2007 and received Japan’s Order of Culture in 2023.
