Sheila MacLeod was born in the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. She studied at Wycombe Abbey School, Bucks., then at Somerville College, Oxford, where she obtained a BA (Hons) Second Class in English (1961) and an MA in English (1993).

She went to Birkbeck College, University of London, where she obtained a BA First Class in French (1996) and was also a joint winner of the Marjorie Gould Prize for the best results of the year.

She is presently studying for an MA in Romance Languages and Literatures (French) at Birkbeck.

She has published many books and earned many impressive awards.