Ishraga Mustafa was born in Sudan and lives in Vienna, where she works as an educator and counselor for refugee youths. She has worked with PEN International and as a counselor for female victims of trafficking, also in Vienna. She holds a PhD in political science from the University of Vienna and has published numerous articles and books, including the autobiography Woman of the Rivers, as well as translations from Arabic into German. She has spoken and lectured widely at conferences and universities.