Born in 1981 in Rabat, Leïla Slimani is a French-Moroccan author and journalist. She obtained her baccalaureate at the French high school in Rabat, then studied at Sciences Po Paris and ESCP Europe. She also attended the Cours Florent with the aim of becoming an actress. She was hired in 2008 by the newspaper Jeune Afrique, but resigned while remaining a freelancer in 2012 to focus on her literary career. Her first novel Dans le jardin de l'ogre was hailed by critics. She has published numerous essays and novels, including Chanson douce which won her the Goncourt Prize in 2016.