She was born in England to Egyptian parents. She attended high school in Saudi Arabia, started university in Cairo and finished her first degree in the United States. She holds an MA in Art and Media Practice from the University of Westminster in London (2011). The experience of living between East and West for much of her life informs her work. She is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including FOAM Talent in 2012 and winner of the Best Photo Book Public Vote 2015 at Fotobookfestival Kassel, Germany. In 2016 Laura El-Tantawy was short-listed for the prestigious Deutsche Borse Photography Foundation Prize for her selfpublished book, In The Shadow of the Pyramids.