Born in 1950 in Napoli, Italia. Upon completing high school in 19688, Erri de Luca joined the radical left-wing movement Lotta Continua. After the organization's dibandment, he worked as a blue collar at the Fiat factory in Turin. He also was atruck driver and a mason, working in job sites in Italy, France anc Africa. He published his first book, Non ora, non qui (Not here, not yet) in 1989. Many more books followed, best sellers in Italy, France and Israel, his work being translated and published in more than 12 countries. He has himslef translated several books of the Bible into Italian.