Simonetta Agnello Hornby was born in Palermo in 1945. Her bestselling debut novel, La Mennulara, published in Italy by Feltrinelli in 2002 and subsequently published in twelve languages, was the recipient of the Forte Village Literary Prize, The Stresa Prize for Fiction, and the Alassio Prize. The Nun, her fifth novel, was awarded the 2011 Italian Pen Prize for the Novel. She has lived in London since 1972.