Elena Shalneva is a London-based university lecturer and writer. Born in the former Soviet Union, Elena moved to India at the age of one and went on to live in the U. S., France, Brazil, Sweden and the Netherlands before settling in the UK. Elena has a versatile CV. A literary critic by training, she started her career in academia, then moved to lobbying, political campaigning and the financial sector. Two decades later, she returned to academia and took up writing. Elena contributes essays on literature, philosophy and social issues to The Daily Telegraph, The Article, Standpoint Magazine, Quillette and City AM. She has published several short stories. When not writing or lecturing, Elena spends her time in the dance studio. A classical ballerina in her youth, she still practises ballet for three hours every day. ‘The Woman of the Year’ is Elena’s debut novel.