William Maughan was born in Newcastle on Tyne, England in 1940 and educated at Rossall School in Lancashire and at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, where he achieved a Master's Degree in Greek. For seven years, he worked for the New Zealand Public Service as an economist and investigating officer in the Statistics Dept, the Treasury and, for a brief time, the Ministry of Works. In 1970, he left permanent employment to pursue writing. He wrote various small pieces of satire under a pen-name, as well as articles for children in the 'School Journals'. His first novel, "Good Faithful Servants", was published September 1975. Article in Manawatu Standard 12 September 1975.