1959년 충남 온양에서 태어났다. 1990년 『문학과비평』 가을호에 시 「길들기, 맞서지 않기」 외 아홉 편을 발표하며 등단했다. 그림책 『꼴찌로 태어난 토마토』로 제1회 문학동네어린이문학상을 받았다. 한때 서울에서 살다가 울진으로 이사해, 통도산 골짜기에서 살고 있다.

Born in 1959 in Onyang, South Chungcheong Province, Yang Hye-won studied English (BA) at Myongji College. She made her literary debut with the publication of nine poems including “To Be Tame, Not to Be Confrontational” in the literary quarterly Munhak-gwa Bipyeong (Literature and Criticism) in 1990. Since then, Yang has received the 1st Munhak Dongne Children’s Literature Prize for her picture book The Tomato That Was Born Last. She currently lives deep in Mt. Tongdo near Uljin.