Zoe Brigley grew up in Wales. Her maternal family is from the Llynfi Valley near Bridgend, while the paternal side is from Bristol. Celtic mythology and tradition play an important role in her writing, as does the role of British colonialism, conquest and trade as represented by seaports like Bristol.

 

At university, she was a member of the first student group to complete Warwick University's BA in English and Creative Writing and later she took a MA in Gender and Literature with tutors such as Terry Lovell and Germaine Greer. As a postgraduate student, she attended seminars with feminists like Luce Irigaray and Judith Butler.

 

After university, she worked as a classroom assistant and later as a journalist for New Design magazine. She was also able to travel in Central America (Mexico, Guatemala and Belize) thanks to funds from an Eric Gregory Award (2003) and an Academi Miscellaneous Bursary (2007).

 

Most recently, she has taught Creative Writing and English Literature at Northampton University. From September 2009, she will be on leave, living in Pennsylvania, USA, though she will still be doing occasional readings in the UK.