Shuhei Fujisawa (1927-1997) was born in Yamagata. After graduating from a teacher's school, he became a junior high school teacher. But soon after he started working, he was diagnosed as lung tuberculosis and hospitalized in Tokyo, where he spent five years. He then started working as a newspaper journalist. He received All Yomimono Prize for New Writers, for Kurai Umi (The Dark Sea) in 1971. In the following year, when he won the Naoki Prize, for Ansatsu no Nenrin (The Annals of Assassination), he was recognized as a period novelist. Then he became active writing not only period novels but also historical or biographical novels.

1971 All Yomimono Prize for New Writers, for Kurai Umi (The Dark Sea)

1973 Naoki Prize, for Ansatsu no Nenrin (The Annals of Assassination)

1989 Ministry of Education Award

1989 Kikuchi Kan Prize