Stephen Booth was born in the English Pennine mill town of Burnley. He was brought up on the Lancashire coast at Blackpool, where he began his career in journalism by editing his school magazine. He wrote his first novel at the age of 12. After graduating from City of Birmingham City University, Stephen moved to Manchester to train as a teacher, but escaped from the profession after a terrifying spell as a trainee teacher in a big city comprehensive school. Starting work on his first newspaper in Cheshire in 1974, Stephen was a specialist rugby union reporter. In 2000, Stephen's first published novel, Black Dog. Stephen left journalism in 2001 to write novels full time. He and his wife Lesley live in a former Georgian dower house in the county of Nottinghamshire, England (home of Robin Hood and the Pilgrim Fathers). They have two goats and two cats.
