Anna Gavalda (born 9 December 1970 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine) is a celebrated French novelist and journalist. Described by Voici magazine as "a distant descendant of Dorothy Parker", Gavalda was raised in an upper-class suburb of Paris. Before making her mark as a writer, she dedicated her early career to teaching French in high school.

Her literary journey began with the publication of a collection of her short stories in 1999, titled "Je voudrais que quelqu'un m'attende quelque part" (I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere), which garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success. The collection sold more than three-quarters of a million copies in France alone and won the 2000 Grand Prix RTL-Lire. It was translated into numerous languages, including English, and sold in twenty-seven countries, being particularly well-received in North America in 2003.