Born in Bilbao in 1973, Unai Elorriaga burst into the book world in 2001 with A Tram in SP, a novel which won the Spanish National Prize. He has always lived in Algorta and completed a degree in Basque Studies at Deusto University. He worked for some time as a language and literature teacher, and also as copy editor, as a researcher and as a translator. He has been a member of Edebé editorial office.

From 2003 onwards, he is totally devoted to literature. He has published three novels, a children book, a book on Basque literature and different articles in literary magazines such El País, El Mundo, Berria and Idatz & Mintz.  Unai Elorriaga has also given several lectures in different European universities and his books have been translated into ten languages.