For more than three decades, Anaïs Nin's monumental diary, or journal, has been the object of much rumor, gossip, and conjecture. Since the early 1930s, when she showed sections of the journal for the first time to some of her close friends and associates in Paris, the world has spread that here was one of the unique literary documents of our century. In an often-quoted article in the English magazine Criterion, in 1937, Henry Miller ventured the opinion that the diary would 'take its place beside the revelations of St Augustine, Petronius, Abélard, Rousseau, Proust.' Others, who over the years watched the diary grow to its present state of some 150 volumes - adding up to more than 15,000 pages in typewritten transcript - contributed their share to the growing legend surrounding this remarkable, lifelong undertaking.

Anaïs Nin, who died in 1977, was of Spanish, Cuban, French and Danish descent. She spent her childhood in various parts of Europe until, at the age of eleven, she left Paris to live in the United States. Later she returned to Paris, where she studied psychology under Otto Rank and became acquainted with many well-known writers and artists.

Her First book was published in the 1930s. The quality and originality of her work were evident at an early stage, but as is often the case for avant-garde writers, she did not immediately achieve wide recognition. The international publication of her Journals won her new admirers in many parts of the world, particularly among young people and students. Countries in which her books have been published with great acclaim include France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Japan and the United States.