Jenny Erpenbeck was born in 1967 in Berlin. Her grandfather, grandmother and father were all published writers in a variety of genres, while her mother was a translator. She first trained as a book binder, before working in the props and costume departments at the Staatsope. She then studied drama in Berlin. She has worked on opera and musical productions in Berlin and Graz since 1991, and is now a freelance writer and producer living near Graz.