Javier Bello?holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from the Complutense University of Madrid and is now Assistant Professor in Latin American and Chilean Literature at the University of Chile. He published his first book of poems La noche venenosa (Concepci?n, Letra Nueva) in 1987. Since then his poems have been widely published, anthologized and translated. In 1992, he became a fellow of the Pablo Neruda Foundation. His honours include The "Gabriela Mistral" Municipal Literary Prize (1994), The "Jaime Gil de Biedma" International Poetry Prize (1998), The "Juan Ram?n Jim?nez" Hispanic American Poetry Prize (2006), The "Pablo Neruda" Award (2007), etc.