Peter MacMillan (b. 1959)
Alias:
Peter J. Macmillan
Seisai
Birthplace:
Kilcullen, Ireland
Born:
February 6, 1959
Peter MacMillan is a prize-winning translator, scholar, poet, and artist. He was born and grew up in a part of the Irish countryside surrounded by more horses than people. He graduated first in his class from the National University of Ireland, University College Dublin, and then went on to earn an M.A. in philosophy and a Ph.D. in English literature. He spent two years as a Visiting Fellow at Princeton, Columbia, and Oxford Universities. A citizen of both Ireland and Britain, he has lived in Japan for over twenty years and strives to be a bridge between Japan and the world. His artist name is Seisai. In addition to creating prints, Dr. MacMillan is also a poet and translator. His translation, One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each (Hyakunin Isshu), was published in 2008, winning prizes in both Japan and the United States. He recently completed an English translation of The Tales of Ise (Ise Monogatari), which was published by Penguin in 2016. He has also published a collection of poetry entitled Admiring Fields. MacMillan is a member of Pen America and the Japanese Pen Club and is a representative of the board of directors at the Japan Cultural Institute. He is also President of The Moon is a Boat Co., Ltd.