Christopher Harris was born in London, and educated in London and Birmingham. After leaving school he studied art briefly, then did a series of jobs, working as a printer, sign-writer, van-driver, illustrator, boat builder and civil servant. Later, he studied biology, and taught science for several years. These jobs were interrupted by journeys to Italy, Greece and Turkey, where he researched the background to the Byzantine Trilogy. He lives in Birmingham with his wife, though he does much of his writing in France, where he also pursues an interest in food and wine, and is trying to eat his way through the animal kingdom.