Victoria Hislop, born in 1959 in Bromley, Kent, is an esteemed English author and journalist renowned for her contributions to The Mail on Sunday and The Sunday Telegraph. She embarked on her literary journey with her debut novel, The Island, which garnered the Best Newcomer award at the British Awards in 2007 and was also recognized at the Waterstones Awards. This novel stood out as one of the top 100 books of the last decade by the Richard & Judy Book Club, achieving global sales surpassing one million copies and published across various countries including the United States, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Japan, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Taiwan, among others.

Hislop's The Island was adapted into a TV series by Greece's Megachannel, spanning 26 episodes and earning significant acclaim for its gripping narrative and high viewership rates, often surpassing 60%. This adaptation is considered a television phenomenon of its year, praised for its quality content amidst the prevalent "trash TV." Despite receiving an offer from Hollywood studios to adapt the novel into a film, Hislop chose a TV adaptation by the Greek group, reflecting the novel's setting in Greece. The book's sales in Greece alone have reached 400,000 copies.

Before becoming a novelist, Hislop read English at Oxford and worked in publishing, PR, and journalism. She is married and has two children. Her first novel, The Island, dominated the Sunday Times paperback charts for eight consecutive weeks and has sold over two million copies worldwide. Her accolades include the Newcomer of the Year at the Galaxy British Book Awards 2007 and the Richard & Judy Summer Read competition victory. Her second novel, The Return, also achieved the Sunday Times number one bestseller status. Her works have been translated into more than twenty languages, further establishing her as a prominent figure in contemporary literature.