Lia Levi was born in Pisa, Italy in 1931. She is the author of several works of fiction largely dedicated to Jewish themes, and is well known for her award-winning memoir, Just a Girl. She studied philosophy after World War II, and became a successful journalist and director of the Jewish monthly magazine, Shalom. She won the Premio Strega Giovani award in 2018 and the Elsa Morante prize in 1994.