Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Hawa Jande Golakai spent a vibrant childhood in Liberia. After the civil war in 1990 she bounced around the continent. Having lived in several countries she considers herself a modern-day nomad and cultural sponge.

Hawa is currently a laureate of the Africa39 Project, celebrating 39 of the most promising contemporary authors under the age of 40 on the continent. She enjoys performing autopsies and investigating peculiar medical cases for her storylines. In addition to writing, she works as a medical immunologist and health consultant. She lives between Monrovia and anywhere else she finds herself