James Hayes was born in Harrow in 1997 and attended Watford Grammar School for Boys. He studied Land Economy for his undergraduate degree at Homerton College, Cambridge, before completing a masters in Sociology at St Cross College, Oxford. His studies at Cambridge and the intensity of the workload served as the biggest inspiration for 'The Lies Behind Cambridge Minds', his debut novel. Hayes currently works as a corporate banker at Santander and has a passion for football and travelling.