Brigid Lowe grew up in remote Wales, where lessons were Bible stories, folk tales and immaculate cursive writing. She speaks Welsh, though her parents are Irish, and she now lives with her children in Scotland. Her part of Scotland is known as Yr Hen Ogled – 'The Old North' – because it was formerly part of one Cumbric kingdom with Wales. She is descended from travellers, circus performers, mill workers and gallowglass mercenary warriors.
Brigid studied literature, first at Bangor, and then at Oxford and Cambridge, where she published a book and many articles on the art of the novel. She now works as a tutor, ghost writer and market-seller.