Douglas Hill was born on April 6, 1935, in Manitoba, Canada, but he grew up in the neighboring province of Saskatchewan. From his early childhood, Hill enjoyed reading, and he also learned that he could entertain himself by writing, a tremendous discovery for a boy who spent much time alone while growing up on the prairie.

After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan in 1957 with a degree in English, Hill did graduate work at the University of Toronto. He soon decided, however, that he was not cut out for the academic life, and in 1959, he moved to London. Within a few years, he had published several short pieces and had also found his way into the first of a series of editorial jobs that he would combine with freelance writing for most of his career.

Hill's first few books were adult nonfiction and included several works...