Born in Beijing in 1949, Bei Dao is considered one of the most gifted and controversial writers to emerge from the massive upheavals of modern China. In 1978, he co-founded the first unofficial literary journal since 1949 called Today (Jingtian), which became a prominent forum for “Misty Poets,” a group derided by the Communist literary establishment for their “obscure” language and their departure from socialist realism. Since 1987, Bei Dao has lived and taught in England, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France, and the United States. His work translated into twenty-five languages, including five poetry volumes in English Unlock (2000), Landscape Over Zero (1996), Forms of Distance (1994), Old Snow (1992), The August Sleepwalker (1990) and the collection of essays Blue House (2000).