Ramón Chao was born in Villalba (Lugo) in 1935. He finished high-school in Madrid, where he also studied piano and Music History. In 1955 he moved to Paris, on a two-year scholarship granted by the Spanish government. Afterwards, he got another scholarship from the French government to expand his musical studies. He began working in Radio France in 1960.

In 1968 he was appointed Chief of the Cultural Service in Spanish and Portuguese, and in 1980 he was appointed Editor in Chief of all the cultural and information programs in both languages, as well as in Creole.

In 1982 he created the Juan Rulfo Short Story Contest for stories written in Spanish, which has become the most important world contest in its type. By way of example, more than seven thousand stories were received in 2002 from every Spanish speaking country.

In 1982 Argos Vergara Publishing House published his first novel “El Lago de Como”, which was among the finalists for the National Literature Award. Two years later, it was published in French, translated by Albert Benssousan : “Le Lac de Côme” Balland Publishing House.

In 1984 he published “Palabras en el tiempo - Conversaciones con Alejo Carpentier” (Argos Vergara) which was republished in 1998, in a pocket version, by Alianza Editorial.

In 1984 he won the International Radio Contest, organized by the National Radio of Spain, with a program about Julio Cortázar, in cooperation with Adelaida Blázquez.

In 1985 he won the Second International Radio Contest, organized by the National Radio of Spain, with the program “De Berceo al altiplano”, in cooperation with Erlends Calabuig.

In 1988 his second novel, “Son Adelfas”, was published and translated into French by Albert Benssousan under the title “La Maison des lauriers roses” (Christian Bourgois Publishing House).

In 1990 Ronsel Publishing House, of Barcelona, published “Onetti”, a book on novelised conversations with the Uruguayan writer who won the Cervantes Award. In France, the book was published by Plon.

In 1990 the French television (second channel) broadcasted three hours of interviews of Ramón Chao with Juan Carlos Onetti, recorded by José María Berzosa.

In 1991 he began collaborating with “Le Monde Diplomatique” on a regular basis.

Since 1992 he has been working as a literary critic in the French newspaper “Le Monde”.

In 1992 the cantata “La travesía de Colón” was released at the Unesco, in Paris, with music written by Angel Parra and lyrics written by Ramón Chao.

In 1992. Prologue of the Notas de Viaje de Ernesto Guevara (first journey of the Che Guevara through Latin America). Editions Austral-Paris. Republished in 1997, in a pocket version, by Les Mille et une Nuits Publishing House.

In 1994 he published his book “Un train de glace et de feu “ (Editions de la Différence - Paris) which was published in Spain under the title “Un tren de hielo y fuego. Mano Negra en Colombia” - El Europeo Publishing House. Translated into Italian and republished in France by Actes-Sud in 1996 and by Plon in 2001.

In 1998 he contributed to six radio programs on Galicia (Ramón Sampedro, la Bella Otero, El Camino de Prisciliano, La Costa de la Muerte…) for Daniel Mermet’s programs (“La-bas, si j’y suis”) broadcasted in November of last year.

In 1999 Seix-Barral published his novel “Prisciliano de Compostela” which was also published on that same year in Galician by Espiral Maior Publishing House.

In 2001 he won the Liberpress Award of Gerona, “Per la seva coherencia humana i solidaritat periodística.”, together with the newspaper El País.

In 1991 he was named Knight of the Arts and Letters in France.

In 2002 Galaxia Editions published his novel “A paixón de Carolina Otero” in Galician.

In 2002 Plon Editions published his novel “La passion de Carolina Otero” in French.

On November 6, Plon Editions published “Abécédaire partiel, et parcial, de la mondialisation”, written in cooperation with Ignacio Ramónet, with drawings by Wozniak. Translated into Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, and Spanish.

In October 2003 the Spanish government granted him the “Encomienda del mérito civil”.

Presently, Ramón Chao works as a literary critic in “Le Monde des livres” and collaborates with “Le Monde Diplomatique”.