Rita La Cava was born in Filicudi, Italy and was awarded a Diploma of Teaching in that country. She gained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Auckland (New Zealand) and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from the University of Wollongong, where she also worked as a Library Assistant in the Michael Birt Library. A speaker of Italian and Spanish, she has been a member of the Italo-Australian Writers Association and has published in several Italian-Australian periodicals and newspapers, including La Fiamma, Il Globo, Lingua Bella; as well as overseas publications such as Grazia, Amica and the American Library Journal.