Originally published in Chinese in 1999, Salsa has been Hsia Yü's most successful collection of poetry, selling thousands of copies in Taiwan and Hong Kong alone. Zephyr Press's 2001 edition Fusion Kitsch included a generous selection of material from Salsa, but this marks the first time that an entire Hsia Yü volume has been translated into English.

Hsia Yü studied film and drama at the National Taiwan Academy of the Arts. Besides poetry she writes essays, lyrics, and stage plays. After living for many years in France, she now divides her time between Paris and Taipei.