Ian Cook was born in Devon in the UK, grew up in Hertfordshire and took a degree in agriculture at the University of Reading. During his subsequent worldwide travels, he became intrigued by the apparent universal mythology associated with red hair and acquired more knowledge about the subject than is strictly necessary for everyday social purposes. This resulted in his first novel, 'Redhead'. He lives in London with his wife, Maggie Burr, an ex-Fleet Street journalist.