Erica Mou (Apulia, 1990) studied Literature, Publishing and Journalism at the University of Bari. She is an Italian singer-songwriter with numerous international awards. Thirsty Sea, winner of the Readers Award of the Lungano Literary Festival 2020, is her debut novel. Her last novel will be published by Héloïse Press in 2026.

"Thirsty Sea displays Mou's flair for smartly subversive and musical prose, highly original characters and distinctive metaphors." Anna Katharina Schaffner, The Times Literary Supplement "Thirsty Sea continues a tradition of simultaneously confessional and elliptical writing by women that streches from Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar to the fourth-wall busting, televisual crise de coeur Fleabag."; Laura Allsop;"Thirsty Sea is a deep dive into the female psyche. It is also a linguist's paradise." The Publishing Post;"Thirsty Sea is a total triumph of cognizance, a haunting presence in its own right." Asymptote;"A poetic, rhythmic and powerful tale of guilt, Thirsty Sea is a magnificient, compelling debut." Nataliya Deleva, author of Arrival;"Mou joins the ranks of contemporary female authors unafraid to delve into the uncomfortable and unsettling... a visceral exploration of trauma, relationships, family, grief and healing" Lunate