Elizabeth Hardy sat her tertiary entrance examinations as a mature age student, and studied Arts at the University of Western Australia. Majoring in Literature, both her Honours dissertation and PhD thesis focussed on novels by Peter Carey. While pursuing her doctoral studies, Hardy also completed diplomas in Information and Library Studies, and in Journalism.
Having worked in the Scholars' Centre at the University of Western Australia library for over five years, she then took up a position as a contributor to the Guide to Australian Literary Manuscripts database and was a bibliographer for AustLit between 2002 and 2004.
Freelancing as an editor and proofreader for academics and postgraduate students, she also works on the manuscripts of her own books. Hardy lives in New Zealand.