Maram al-Massri was born in Lattakia, Syria, to a family of artists and studied English literature at the University of Damascus. She worked as an interpreter in Lattakia before moving to Paris, where she has lived since 1982. In 1984 she published her first book of poems, I Threaten You with a White Dove, followed by A Red Cherry on a White-Tiled Floor. Her work has been awarded many prizes and translated into several languages. She has three children.