Olivia Levison was born in Copenhagen and, while receiving no formal education, learned several languages at an early age, including Italian and Russian. Levison made her literary debut in 1874 with the story collection Min første Bog, and became acquainted with the Danish critic Georg Brandes shortly thereafter. She spent most of her life in Copenhagen, with the exception of the years 1888–91, which were spent in Stockholm with her Swedish husband. Levison, writing under the pseudonym Silvia Bennet, associated herself with the Modern Breakthrough and took part in the contemporary debate on women’s rights, polemicising against, among others, August Strindberg.