Bei Dao was born in Beijing in 1949.

Since 1987, Bei Dao has lived and taught in England, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France, and the United States. His work has been translated into over 30 languages, including five poetry volumes in English, Unlock, Landscape Over Zero, Forms of Distance, Old Snow, The August Sleepwalker, the story collection Waves, and two collections of essays, Blue House and Midnight’s Gate.

He lives in Davis, California.