A second child in a family with three children, Leylâ Erbil was born in Istanbul, Turkey, to Emine Huriye Hanim and Hasan Tahsin.

She died on 19 July 2013, at the age of 82 at Istanbul Hospital where she was being treated for liver failure and respiratory problems, which were side effects of her illness.

Erbil is noted for her ability to observe individuals using different societal perspectives, and her stories are characterized by efforts to depict the multiple dimensions of reality.

Casting a resolute female gaze over a male world and penned with an innovative language, the book's critical success earned Erbil comparisons with Virginia Woolf.

The novel was considered a pioneer, as for the first time in Turkish literature it was confronting issues such as virginity, incest and sexual and physical abuse.

A Strange Woman was published at a time when the word feminism had not yet entered the Turkish vocabulary and mindset; hence feminists consider the novel to be a first of its kind.

Leyla Erbil made important headway in Turkish literature with the distinctive style and format she developed in this novel, paving the way for others to follow.

Kalan (The Remaining), published in 2011, related the tragedy of Istanbul's multicultural communities through the eyes of its cosmopolitan and rebellious female protagonist Lahzen.