Magdalena Zyzak was born in Silesia, Poland. She received her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. She is the author of the novel The Ballad of Barnabas Pierkiel, hailed as "a wickedly good debut" by the Los Angeles Times. Also a filmmaker, she has written, directed, and produced several motion pictures, including Redland, which was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, and Maya Dardel, released internationally by Samuel Goldwyn Pictures and MGM/Orion. Zyzak has been honored as an outstanding cultural figure in the Polish community abroad by the Teraz Polska, a cultural foundation.