Shusako Endo (1923--1996) is widely regarded as one of the greatest Japanese authors of the late 20th century, and the nation's leading Christian novelist. Born in 1923, he won many major literary awards and was nominated for the Nobel Prize several times. His novels, which have been translated into 28 languages, include  Deep River , The Final Martyrs , A Life of Jesus ,  Scandal ,  Silence , and Wonderful Fool . Martin Scorsese's long-cherished film version of Silence is in production and due for release in 2013.