Recent MFA Center for the Book graduate Kazumi Wilds, will talk about her new book, Kojiki: The Birth of Japan: The Japanese Creation Myth Illustrated.

"What makes this book special is the author's own long familiarity with the actual physical locations where some of the events took place . . . Because of her intense personal connection with the Kojiki story, Kazumi Wilds was moved to design and print a very special limited-edition artist book on her own handmade paper that embodied the mystery of the original story. Tuttle now gives a much wider audience the opportunity to experience this beautifully executed book." —Timothy Barrett, Director, University of Iowa Center for the Book

Kazumi Wilds is an illustrator and creator of art books who was born in Japan. Kojiki: The Birth of Japan is adapted from her thesis project as an MFA student at the University of Iowa Center for the Book. She also holds a bachelor's degree from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Tokyo, where she majored in Japanese painting. She worked as a school teacher in Japan for many years before living in the United States, which included a stint running a gallery in Taos, New Mexico. She has illustrated over a dozen children's books, including All About Japan and The Peace Tree from Hiroshima—this is her first adult book. Wilds is currently teaching art courses at Temple University's Tokyo campus