Life of bei dao

Chinese-American writer (born 1949)

Bei Dao
Bei Dao in Tallinn, 2010
Born	Zhao Zhenkai (1949-08-02) August 2, 1949 (age 75) Beijing, China
Occupation
Language	Mandarin Chinese
Citizenship
Period	Contemporary
Genres
Literary movement	Misty Poets
Years active	1978–present
Notable awards	Guggenheim Fellowship (1998) Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings (2015)

Bei Dao (simplified Chinese: 北岛; traditional Chinese: 北島; pinyin: Běi Dǎo; lit. 'Northern Island', born August 2, 1949) is the pen name of the Chinese-American writer Zhao Zhenkai (simplified Chinese: 赵振开; traditional Chinese: 趙振開; pinyin: Zhào Zhènkāi).

Among the most acclaimed Chinese-language poets of his generation, he is often regarded as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. In addition to poetry, he is the author of short fiction, essays, and a memoir. Known as a dissident, he is a prominent