Elena Ferrante is a pseudonymous Italian novelist. Her books, originally published in Italian, have been translated into many languages. Her four-book series of Neapolitan Novels are her most widely known works.

Time Magazine recognized Ferrante as one of the 100 most influential people in 2016. Despite her fame, Ferrante has famously kept her identity a secret since her debut in 1992, emphasizing that anonymity is crucial to her writing process. She believes that "books, once they are written, have no need of their authors."

There has been much speculation and numerous theories about her true identity, but Ferrante has consistently denied these claims.