Shlomo Kalo was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and was sent to a concentration camp during World War II. In 1946, he began his studies in medicine at the Charles University in Prague, trained as a pilot, and moved to Israel in 1949. He was a microbiologist and head of medical laboratories while also writing and gaining renown as a poet and short-story writer. He produced some eighty works, including translations. After undergoing a turn to Eastern religions, Kalo established the DAAT publishing house in 1969.