Margaryta Surzhenko was born in Luhansk. She began writing fantasy stories at the age of 10. In Kyiv she studied political science. Her first book was published in 2014 as a creative way to process the war in her hometown. In 2015, the author launched nochdobra.com, a platform for modern short tales. Since 2018, she has been conducting creative writing workshops in Kyiv. Now the author of five books, she teaches writing in Germany and will be a fellow at the Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles in early 2025.

Margaryta uses metaphors and symbolism as her primary tools, allowing her to touch the depths of the human soul. In her debut work, the term ATO (the war in Luhansk in 2014 was called the Anti-Terrorist Operation, abbreviated as ATO) is reimagined as an acronym for the names of the main characters (Angelina, Tolik, Oksana) who were united by the war. This approach highlights that, despite the tragedy of war, it can forge friendships, love, kindness, and even an entire nation.

In subsequent works, Margaryta remains true to her love for metaphors. In The Apartment of Kyiv Sins, seven sins symbolize internal human conflicts; in The Girl Who Searched for Her Dress, the dresses represent principles of a woman’s maturation; and in She Knows the Secret, the sea becomes a symbol of love—capable of wounding deeply but also healing. Each of Margaryta’s fairy tales is also a metaphorical way to convey significant realizations to children and teenagers.