Born on 15 October 1933 in Sindriūnas, Pasvalys district.
In 1952 he graduated from Biržai Secondary School (in 1950 the school's pedagogical council refused to allow him to take his matriculation exams "for demoralising the Komsomol activities"). He entered the part-time department of the Šiauliai Teachers' Institute and became a teacher at the Šventoji seven-year primary school. From 1954 to 1957 he served in the then Soviet army. In 1962 he graduated from the Faculty of Lithuanian Language and Literature of the Vilnius Pedagogical Institute (now the Lithuanian University of Education). From 1962 to 1973 he taught at the evening school of the Pravieniškės Correctional Labour Colony and at the Juošilios Special School. In 1989, he was for a while assistant to the chief director of the Lithuanian State Academic Drama Theatre in literary matters. He worked in the editorial offices of "Sąjūdžio žinios" (in 1989 he held the position of editor-in-chief) and "Lietuvos aidas". Participated in Sąjūdis activities.