Janet Sutherland was born in Salisbury in 1957. After a childhood on a small dairy farm followed by studies at Cardiff and Essex Universities, she moved to Hackney, East London, and lived there for over twenty years, working in Local Government, for the voluntary sector and as an Adult Education woodwork tutor. Since 2001 she has lived in Lewes, East Sussex, with her partner and son. She currently works for Relate.