Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester and went to school in Leeds. He has an M.Phil in philosophy and a PhD on the history of the concept of beauty. He has worked as a nightclub bouncer, civil servant, philosophy tutor, and lecturer in creative writing. He has written numerous books for children and young adults, including Henry Tumour, which won the 2006 Booktrust Teenage prize and the 2007 Catalyst Award, and the controversial and topical The Knife That Killed Me about the problems of knife crime and youth violence.