Mauro Corona was born in Erto (Pordenone) in 1950. As a boy, he worked as a lumberjack and quarryman. He is a mountaineer and climber (he has established many routes in the Dolomites and participated in various international expeditions), a world-famous wood sculptor, and a writer. Il volo della martora (1997) was the first of over thirty hugely successful novels, which have been translated into many languages. La fine del mondo storto won the Premio Bancarella 2011 and La voce degli uomini freddi won the Premio Selezione Campiello 2014 and the Premio Mario Rigoni Stern 2014. His latest book is Felice (Bompiani, 2026).