Born in Rome in 1974 to Somali parents, Igiaba Scego obtained a doctorate in Pedagogy and now works in journalism, writing and research.

Her story Salsicce won the Eks&tra prize in 2003 and was then published in Pecore nere (Rome-Bari, Laterza, 2005).
With Ingy Mubiayi she edited the interviews with young children of immigrants entitled When you are born it's a roulette (Milan, Terre di mezzo, 2007) and with Rino Bianchi the volume Roma negata (Rome, Ediesse, 2014).
Among her other publications: Rhoda (Rome, Sinnos, 2004), Oltre Babilonia (Rome, Donzelli, 2008), Adua (Florence, Giunti, 2015).

For wetlands she wrote the preface to Venezia Africana and African Venice (2024).