Born in Moscow, Gosteva is a physics graduate (1997) from
Moscow University. She is one of the first generation of writers who were able to travel freely after the
Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991. In addition to her work as a journalist and translator, she publishes poetry and novels. In 1997, she won
Znamya Magazine's Best Debut Novel award for
Дочь самурая (The Samurai's Daughter). The short novel is the story of the heroine's travels to the West, including Paris and London: an innovative scenario for a Russian narrative. She went on to publish
Travel Агнец (Travel Lamb) in 1998 and, more recently,
Дух дома дома (The Den of the Enlightened) in 2008. She has also published a number of short stories in literary magazines. The book, presented as a children's fairy tale, tells the story of how little Cyril enters the mysterious home of an eccentric professor whose mission is to stop people quarrelling about their many different religions. ==References==