Maylis de Kerangal is a French author, born on 16 June 1967, known for her profound explorations of individuals in their work environments. Her literary prowess has been recognized with numerous awards, such as the Prix Médicis, Premio Gregor von Rezzori, Grand prix RTL-Lire, and the Wellcome Book Prize. Her works have achieved international acclaim, being published in multiple languages, and two of her novels have been adapted into films.

De Kerangal spent her early years in Le Havre, coming from a lineage of long-distance sea captains. She pursued her education in preparatory classes at the Lycée Jeanne-d'Arc in Rouen, followed by studies in history, philosophy, and ethnology in Paris from 1985 to 1990. Her career began at Gallimard Jeunesse, where she worked from 1991 to 1996 before spending time in the United States, specifically in Golden, Colorado, in 1997. She furthered her education with a year at the EHESS in Paris in 1998.

She debuted as a novelist with "Je marche sous un ciel de traîne" in 2000, followed by "La Vie voyageuse" in 2003, and "Ni fleurs, ni couronnes" in 2006.