Melissa Panarello grew up in the small Sicilian town of Acicastello, near Catania in Italy. She became most famous as the author of the erotic novel 100 colpi di spazzola prima di andare a dormire (One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed) about her extreme sexual life during her teenage years, which was based on a diary that she kept. The book was distributed in 40 countries and translated into over 30 languages. Coming from one of the most traditional and old-fashioned parts of Italy (Sicily), Melissa Panarello scandalized many as she freely writes about penetration, sperm and orgasm in a very matter of fact fashion.

She is currently based in Rome, where she lives with her partner, Thomas Fazi, the son of her publisher. She published her second novel, L'odore del tuo respiro (The smell of your breath), in 2005. Still in 2005, a movie about her first novel, titled Melissa P., produced by Francesca Neri and directed by Luca Guadagnino has been made; however, Melissa Panarello did not back the movie, claiming a loss of accuracy with her novel. In April 2006, she published a third book, titled In nome dell'amore (In the name of love), presented as an open letter to Camillo Ruini in which she blames the Catholic Church interferences in the Italian political scene and defends the laïcity of the country.