Leah Goldberg was born on May 29, 1911 in the city of Königsberg, Prussia. She spent her childhood years in Kovno, Lithuania. During World War I, her family was exiled to Russia, returning afterwards to Lithuania. She received a Ph.D in semitic languages from Bonn University, and immigrated to pre-state Israel in 1935. Goldberg was a renowned poet – a member of the Shlonsky group – as well as a successful children’s author, theater critic, translator, and editor. In 1952, she began teaching literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Later, she established the university’s Department of Comparative Literature and remained its chairperson until her death. Goldberg published nine books of poetry during her lifetime, novels, plays, non-fiction, and books for children. She was awarded the Ruppin Prize (1949), the Shlonsky Prize (1956), the Kugel Prize (1960), the Neuman Prize (New York, 1969) and the Israel Prize for Literature (1970). 
Lea Goldberg’s work has been published in 15 languages.