Keith Maillard was born and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia, the inspiration for the fictional town of Raysburg, which serves as the setting for many of his novels. He has been a musician, a contributor for CBC Radio, a freelance photographer and journalist, and a designer of distance education courses. His reviews, poems and essays have appeared in many journals, ranging from Event to Flare. He is currently a professor at the University of British Columbia where he teaches creative writing. He lives in West Vancouver with his wife and two daughters.