David Grégoire Van Reybrouck is a Belgian cultural historian, archaeologist, and author born on September 11, 1971, in Bruges. He is renowned for writing historical fiction, literary non-fiction, novels, poetry, plays, and academic texts. Among his notable works are Congo: The Epic History of a People and Revolusi.

Van Reybrouck was born into a family of florists, bookbinders, and artists. His father, originally a farmer's son, worked as a railway engineer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo immediately after its independence.

He pursued studies in archaeology and philosophy at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) and received a Master's degree in World Archaeology from the University of Cambridge. He also holds a doctorate from Leiden University.

Additionally, Van Reybrouck founded the G1000 project in Belgium, which is a platform for democratic innovation and inclusive participatory politics.