Elke Erb was born in 1938 in Scherbach (now Rheinbach) in the Eifel region, but moved to Halle in East Germany with her family in 1949. After a spell working on the land she studied German Literature, Slavonic Studies, History and Education in Halle. She qualified as a teacher in 1963, then worked for several years in publishing. Since 1966 she has been a freelance writer (poetry and fiction) and a translator. She lives today in Berlin and the Upper Lausitz region.
(Updated: 2020)
