Ian Bagley was born in 1961 in Lancashire, England. He studied literature at the University of East Anglia and Lancaster, then worked in the United States for twelve years as the director of outdoor activities at a YMCA camp, where he was voted employee of the year in 1984. Bagley has since directed several plays in Australia and for the National Theatre in London. In his spare time, he enjoys various art forms, cooking, painting, playing drums, and supporting Liverpool Football Club.