Born in Tresigallo, Marani attended the Liceo Ginnasio Ariosto in Ferrara till 1978 and graduated in interpretation and translation from the Scuola superiore di lingue moderne per traduttori e interpreti in Trieste in 1983.
[4] His most famous novel, New Finnish Grammar (Nuova grammatica finlandese), has been translated into several languages and has received the Grinzane Cavour literary prize in Italy.
His other novels include Las Adventures des Inspector Cabillot (1998, written in Europanto), L'ultimo dei Vostiach (Premio Campiello, Selezione Giurati) (The Last of the Vostiaks), L'interprete, Il compagno di scuola, and Enciclopedia tresigallese.
His book, La bicicletta incantata, was made into a movie by Elisabetta Sgarbi, editor in chief of Bompiani publishing house and art producer.
A more recent novel of Marani's, Il cane di Dio, was published in 2012 and issued in English as God's Dog in that year as well.