Mary Melfi was born in a small mountain town south of Rome. In 1957, at the age of six, she immigrated with her family to Montreal, Quebec where she attended the local English schools. She received a B.A. in English Literature from Concordia University and a Masters of Library Science from McGill University. Since completing her studies in 1977 she has published over a dozen books of critically-acclaimed poetry and prose. Her first novel, "Infertility Rites," was published by Guernica Editions in 1991; it was later translated into French and Italian. Doubleday Canada published her children's fantasy book: "Ubu, the Witch Who Would be Rich." In 2009 the author’s memoir, “Italy Revisited: Conservations with My Mother,” was published in Canada; Iannone Editions based in Molise, Italy recently agreed to translate the book into Italian. Also a playwright, Mary Melfi's works for the theatre have been workshopped in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Noted for her black humour, wry wit and imaginative style critics have suggested that this author manages "not only to make us laugh, but also think." In-depth reviews of her published works can be found in William Anselmi's book entitled: "Mary Melfi, Essays on her Works" (Guernica Editions, 2007). Mary Melfi presently lives in Montreal.