Born in Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, Robert Feagan grew up accompanying his father on RCMP patrols of the Mackenzie Delta by dog team. With his father in the RCMP, Robert had the opportunity to live in and visit all of Canada's provinces and territories, and while most of his life has been spent in the North (Yellowknife, Cambridge Bay and Inuvik), Robert has also lived in Ontario, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Alberta.

After graduating from Dalhousie University in 1982, Robert worked in Yellowknife, Cambridge Bay and Inuvik. His work has allowed him to travel extensively, and he was struck by how little most Canadians actually knew about the northern territories of their own country.

His first novel, Napachee, was inspired by a desire to teach young people more about the north in an entertaining but realistic fashion. Through its use of northern languages, culture and geography, Napachee has become a popular resource for the northern studies at many schools across Canada. Robert returned to the Canadian north with Mystery at Shildii Rock, and his latest novel, Arctic Thunder, has been shortlisted for a 2012 Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award.