Jacqueline Harpman was a Belgian author born in Etterbeek in 1929. Her family fled to Casablanca during World War II due to their Jewish heritage, returning to Belgium after the war. Initially pursuing a career in medicine, she abandoned her studies after contracting tuberculosis and turned to writing in 1954. Her literary debut came in 1958, marking the beginning of a prolific career that spanned twelve novels. Among her notable achievements was winning the prestigious Médicis Prize for one of her later works.
Harpman's writing career unfolded in two distinct phases. After publishing four novels, she paused her literary pursuits for two decades, during which she qualified as a psychoanalyst in 1980. When she returned to writing, her works gained critical acclaim, demonstrating her versatility across genres. Her novels often explored psychological depth and human relationships, reflecting her background in both literature and psychoanalysis. Married to an architect and mother of two, Harpman balanced her personal life with her dual careers in writing and psychoanalysis until her death.