Elena Karakouli was born in Athens. She studied Greek literature and theater studies in Athens and playwriting in Germany. She has collaborated with theaters in Germany, such as the Deutsches Theater, the Bochum Schauspielhaus, and the Thalia Theater.

She worked as a dramaturg at the National Theater (2008–2013) and has been teaching literature and philosophy at the German School of Athens since 1998. She directed the following plays: The Woman from the Old Days by R. Simelfenich (Poreia Theater, 2015), Are You Afraid? by A. Seidel (Ilisia-Volanakis Studio, 2016), Himmelweg by H. Mayorgas (Athens and Epidaurus Festival, 2019), Paramesos by G. Ogawa (Radio Plays of the Athens Festival, 2022), Scenes from a Marriage by I. Bergman (Omega Stage of the Piraeus Municipal Theater, 2023, and Contemporary Theater, 2024), True West by S. Shepard (Chora Theater, 2024) and Misery by S. King (Anesis Theater, 2025).

Her first book, Ten Ways to Expose Yourself (Kastaniotis Publications, 2024), was nominated for the Debut Novelist Award from the magazine O Anagnostis and for the Meni Koumantarea Award from the Writers’ Association.