Ian Johnston was born in Valparaiso, Chile, and raised in Canada and England. He attended McGill University in Montreal, the University of Bristol and the University of Toronto. He worked for many years as a college and university-college instructor in British Columbia teaching English, Classics and Liberal Studis. He is the author of the book, "The Ironies of War: An Introduction to Homer's Iliad." He is now retired and living in Namimo, British Columbia.