Name at birth: Shi Chenghan

Place of birth: Dingxiang, Shanxi Prov.

Date of death: 29 Sept. 2013

Parentage: s. of Niu Yingfeng and Shi Buchan

Family: m. Wu Ping; one s. one d.

Education: Northwest Univ.

Career: formerly Sec., Research Dept, Renmin Univ.; Dir Cultural and Educational Office, Political Dept of Northeast Air Force; Exec. Assoc. Chief Ed. Chinese Literature; Chief Ed. Historical Records of New Literature Movement; Dir Editorial Office of May 4th Literature; Sr Ed. People’s Publishing House; member Nat. Cttee, Chinese Writers’ Asscn

Honours and awards: Creative Literary Works Award 1981–82, Literary Stick Prize for Nation’s Best New Poem (Macedonia) 2003, China Central TV Poet of the Year 2006, Zhongkun Int. Poetry Award 2011

Publications include: Motherland, In Front of the Motherland, Coloured Life, Hot Spring, Love and Songs, Earthworm and Feather, Selected Lyric Poems of Niu Han, Notes Taken While Learning to Write Poems, A Sonambulist’s Talk on Poetry 2001, Spaciousness Afar-off 2005, A Collection of Poetry and Prose (National Book Prize 2013) 2010, A Best Selection of Niu Han’s Works 2012, Soft Soil 2013

Leisure interests: fine arts, Chinese calligraphy