Maria Rosaria Valentini was born in Ciociaria in 1963. She graduated in German Studies in Rome. She has lived in Switzerland for many years, first in Bern, then in Lugano. Nominated for the Premio Schiller for Sassi Muschiati, she has published novels, short stories, and poetry collections in Italy and Switzerland. Her novel Magnifica (Sellerio) has been translated into French (Denoël/Gallimard) and German (DuMont). In 2021 she published Eppure osarono for Francesco Brioschi Editore. Her last novel Cinquanta lune has been published by Castelvecchi Editore in 2024.