Anja Sicking studied clarinet at the Royal Conservatory for music and dance. She went on tour several times with the symphony orchestra the Ricciotti Ensemble, with which she played on the Red Square and in a Russian prison. She also played in numerous chamber music ensembles, including the Ebonykwartet and the Ensemble Contraint. Her first novel, Het Keuriskwartet, was awarded the Dutch Geertjan Lubberhuizen Prize for best debut in 2001. Her second novel, The Silent Sin, was nominated for the 2008 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.