K. A. S. Quinn was born and raised in California and studied History and English at Vassar College. For ten years she was the publisher of the Spectator. She has written for The Times, the Telegraph, the Independent and the Wall Street Journal, as well as appearing on Any Questions, A Good Read, Famous Lives and Broadcasting House for the BBC. She lives in London and has two small boys. She still reads children's books in bed, after lights out, with a torch.