1927年熊本県生まれ。代用教員、主婦を経て詩歌を中心に文学活動を開始。69年、水俣病の現実を描いた『苦海浄土―わが水俣病』で注目を浴び、第一回大宅壮一ノンフィクション賞に選ばれるも受賞辞退。93年『十六夜橋』で紫式部文学賞、2001年度朝日賞、02年度『はにかみの国―石牟礼道子全詩集』で芸術選奨文部科学大臣賞など受賞多数。
Born in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1927. After working as a substitute teacher and housewife, she began her literary career with focus on Japanese poetry. Gained attention in 1969 for her work depicting the realities of the Minamata Disease, titled Kugai jodo – Waga Minamatabyo (Paradise in the Sea of Sorrow: Our Minamata Disease), which was selected for the 1st Oya Soichi Nonfiction Award, but was refused by Ishimure. Recipient of several awards, including the Murasaki Shikibu Literary Award for Izayoibashi in 1993, the Asahi Prize in 2001, and the Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts for Hanikami no Kuni: Ishimure Michiko Zen Shishu (Hanakami no kuni: Complete Collection of Michiko Ishimure’s Poetry) in 2002.