Xuanyuan Shike was born in Linyi, Shandong, in 1971. He was one of the founders of the chapbook Between in 1999, and in the early twenty-first century he was a part of the “Lower Body Poets” movement. He has been anthologised numerous times, both in China and abroad, and has won various literary prizes. His works include the poetry collections Watching Rain in the Mortal World, Carrying Pulley Blocks, and Hiding an Ocean.