Kgebetli Moele was born in the Limpopo province of South Africa and began his career writing radio dramas and theatrical productions before turning to fiction. His debut novel, Room 207 (2006), was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book and was the joint winner of both the Herman Charles Bosman Prize and the University of Johannesburg Prize for Creative Writing. His second novel, The Book of the Dead, won the South African Literary Award in 2010. He has also worked as a theatre producer and creative writing teacher, and his short stories have appeared in anthologies and international publications. He is regarded as one of the most bold and distinctive voices in contemporary South African fiction.