Gareth Russell was a student at Down High Grammar School in Northern Ireland before he went on to study Modern History at Saint Peter's College in the University of Oxford. He is the author of several plays and his first novel, Popular, first published in 2011 as been an amazing success. Popular has also been adapted for the stage twice.

Gareth divides his time between Belfast, London and vacations in Connecticut. His accent is best described as polymorphous, shifting with the greatest of ease from Northern Irish to English to American. This pleases him greatly. His first ever word was 'shoe' and if he had to host a dinner party with one person from history, it would be Anne Boleyn.