Eva Sallis was born in Bendigo. She has an MA in literature and a PhD in comparative literature from The University of Adelaide. She won The Australian/Vogel Literary Award in 1997 for her first novel, Hiam. Eva's second novel, The City of Sealions, was published in 2002, followed by the winner of the Steele Rudd Award, Mahjar in 2003 and Fire Fire in 2004.