She is one of the leading novelists in the so-called Sardinian Literary Spring which began in the 1980s and which includes other international names such as Michela Murgia.

[1] Milena Agus was born in Genova to Sardinian parents.

Her first novel, While the Shark is Sleeping (Nottetempo, 2005) had two reprints within as many months, but it was Mal di Pietre (From the Land of the Moon in English) which brought her to the attention of a wide audience[citation needed].

Translated into five languages, it was a bestseller in France, where it rose to international fame[citation needed].

In 2016 it was adapted into a feature film called Mal de Pierres, or in English From the Land of the Moon directed by Nicole Garcia and starring Marion Cotillard.