Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer is a poet, novelist, polemicist, and classical scholar. Born on 17 January 1968 in Rijswijk, Netherlands, he is celebrated as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Dutch literature. He studied, lived, and worked in Leiden before moving permanently to Genoa, Italy, in 2008.

Pfeijffer is distinguished in nearly every genre imaginable, with more than forty titles to his name, including poetry, novels, short stories, plays, essays, scientific studies, columns, translations, and anthologies. His powerful style and classical command of form have significantly contributed to literary revival and growing engagement, evident in his work as a columnist and television documentary maker.