Simon Boswell was born in South London, grew up in Bristol, and completed a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Birmingham. He then took an Aston University postgraduate diploma in the Teaching of English as a Second or Foreign Language, and has since lived in Finland working as an English teacher. He also studied composition for several years with Einojuhani Rautavaara at the Sibelius Academy, where he now holds the post of English Lecturer. Much of his working life has been focused on developing and teaching music-related English courses for students at the Sibelius Academy. He is married, and has three children.