Dean was born in Menziken to a Swiss mother and an Indian physician from Trinidad.

In 1986, he finished his studies with a licentiate work about Hans Henny Jahnn’s novel "Perrudja", and graduated summa cum laude.

He traveled extensively and lived abroad for many years, in places such as South America, Portugal, France, Greece and Italy.

From 1990 to 1998, he taught at the Schule für Gestaltung (School for Design) in Basel.

Dean lives and works as a free writer and publicist in Basel.