Susan Shalev was born and raised in London, England. She holds a BA in psychology from Manchester University, UK, and an MSc in industrial relations from Strathclyde University, UK. She immigrated to Israel in 1976.

Although she only found the courage to try her hand at penning fiction later in life, writing has always been a part of who she is. For much of her professional life, she worked as a writer and editor for prestigious academic institutions and nonprofit organizations, including the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind.

Pursuing a lifelong dream, Susan returned to academia as a (very) mature student, and in 2016 she was awarded a PhD in sociology and anthropology from Bar-Ilan University. She now channels her two passions – research and writing – into fiction. The German Dressmaker is her debut novel.

She has also published a fictionalized memoir, Of Bitter Herbs and Sweet Confections, a coming-of-age WWII survival story based on real-life experiences.

Her interests include reading, Pilates, and travel.

She lives on a farm with her husband and two horses. She has four children and eleven grandchildren.