Adam Zagajewski was born in Poland in 1945. He moved to Paris in 1982 and in 2002 he returned to Krakow. He has taught in the University of Houston Creative Writing program since 1988.

Four volumes of his poetry have been published in English: Tremor, Canvas, Mysticism for Beginners, and Without End. Four collections of essays have also been published: Solidarity, Solitude, Two Cities, Another Beauty, and A Defense of Ardor.

In 2004, he was awarded the Neustadt International Prize for Literature.