Elena Varvello was born in Turin, Italy, in 1971. She has published two collections of poetry, Perseveranza è salutare and Atlanti; a collection of short stories, L'Economia delle cose (nominated for the Premio Strega, the Italian equivalent of the Man Booker Prize); and a novel, La Luce Perfetta del Giorno. She teaches creative writing at the Scuola Holden in Turin.