Dorothy Leigh Sayers (13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an eminent English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator, and a profound Christian humanist. Born in Oxford, Sayers was raised in rural East Anglia and received her education at Godolphin School in Salisbury and Somerville College, Oxford, where she graduated with first-class honours in medieval French. Her early career was marked by her work as an advertising copywriter between 1922 and 1929, a period which preceded her success as a published author.

Her literary debut, Whose Body?, was released in 1923, and marked the beginning of a series of novels featuring the upper-class amateur sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey. With the introduction of Harriet Vane in the novel Strong Poison in 1930, Sayers added a leading female character who would become deeply interwoven with Wimsey's narrative, ultimately becoming his partner. This addition enriched the series, which is renowned for moving the detective fiction genre beyond simple puzzles and introducing depth and character development.

Sayers is considered one of the four "Queens of Crime" of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, alongside Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. Her contributions to the genre include her role as a founding member of the Detection Club and her collaborative works with its members, such as The Floating Admiral.

In the latter part of her career, Sayers focused on writing plays, mostly with religious themes, that were performed in English cathedrals and broadcast by the BBC. Her significant works during this period include the radio dramatisation of the life of Jesus, The Man Born to Be King. Sayers also dedicated years to translating Dante's Divine Comedy into colloquial English, a project she considered her best work, but sadly did not live to complete.