Graham Dunstan Martin was born in Leeds, England, in 1932. He taught French and English in schools for several years before lecturing in French poetry, literature and philosophy at the University of Edinburgh from 1965 to 2000. He is the author of many books, including Shadows in the Cave: Mapping the Conscious Universe (1990), two novels for children, four fantasy novels for adults, translations of French poetry and three works of literary criticism.