Dai Smith was born in the Rhondda in 1945. His writing has encompassed history, biography, essays and criticism. He was the Series Editor of the Library of Wales and Chair of the Arts Council Wales and was made a CBE for services to arts and culture in Wales in 2016. He currently edits the Modern Wales Series and is Chair of the Dylan Thomas Prize. With The Crossing, Dai Smith built upon and completed his trilogy of fictional work, Dream On, What I Know I Cannot Say and What Lies Beneath. His memoir Off the Track was published in 2023.