Vasile Ernu (born 1971 in the USSR) graduated at the Faculty of Philosophy in Iasi (Al. I. Cuza University, Iasi, Romania) and has a master's degree in philosophy (Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania). He was one of the founding editors of Philosophy&Stuff magazine and associated editor of Idea arta+societate magazine. He published his first book, Born in the USSR, in 2006, which was translated into Russian and in Bulgarian. The book was nominated for prizes such as: the Prize for debut of the Cuvîntul magazine, the Prize for Fiction and Memoirism Observator Cultural, or for Opera Prima of the Anonimul Foundation. The volume was distinguished with the Prize for debut of România Literara magazine and the Prize for debut of the Union of the Writers in Romania. His second book The Last Heretics of the Empire was published by Polirom Publishing House in 2009.