Jewish-American author, he has been called one of the most controversial and influential writers of the last decade. He was born in 1977 in Washington, D.C., and earned his bachelor's degree at Princeton University. Under the guidance of Joyce Carol Oates, he finished a manuscript of Everything is Illuminated before graduating in philosophy. In 2000, Foer was awarded the “Zoetrope: All-Story” Fiction Prize. Everything is Illuminated, his first novel, appeared on "best books of 2002" lists internationally, won several literary prizes including the National Jewish Book Award and The Guardian First Book Award, and now has been published in at least twenty-four countries. Foer's second novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, was published in 2005. Set in New York City, it revolves around events since September 11, 2001. Like Everything is Illuminated, it has met with both acclaim and controversy since its release. In 2009, he published his first book of nonfiction entitled Eating Animals.
His books are published in Italy by Guanda.