Saiichi Maruya (1925-2012) was born in Yamagata. He studied at Departmet of English Language and Literature, the University of Tokyo. He won the Kawade Culture Prize for Sasa Makura (Grass for My Pillow, 1967) and the Akutagawa Prize for Toshi no Nokori (The Rest of the Year). Besides being an author, he was active as a translator. His translation works include Graham Greene's Brighton Rock and James Joyce's Ulysses (co-translator).

1967 Kawade Culture Prize, for Sasa Makura (Grass for My Pillow)

1968 Akutagawa Prize, for Toshi no Nokori (The Rest of the Year)

1972 Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Prize, for Tatta Hitori no Hanran (Singular Rebellion)

1985 Noma Literary Prize, for Chushingura towa Nanika? (What is Chushingura?)