Paul grew up in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, and was educated at Woodham Comprehensive and Lancaster University. He was a lecturer in Creative Writing and English Literature at UEA for seven years, running their famous MA course, and then did the same job at MMU in Manchester for a further seven years. He now writes full time at home in Levenshulme, near Manchester, where he lives with his partner Jeremy Hoad.

Paul has published a number of YA novels – Strange Boy (2002), Exchange (2006, shortlisted for the Book Trust Teen Book Award and longlisted for the Carnegie), Diary of a Dr Who Addict (2010 shortlisted for the Leeds Book Prize) and for younger readers – Hands up! (2003), Twin Freaks (2007), The Ninnies (2012). He has also published five original Doctor Who novels with BBC books, and over twenty original Doctor Who audiobooks / full cast dramas produced by Big Finish Productions and BBC Audio / Audiogo. He has written for almost all the living Doctors! Most recently Paul has published stories in the anthologies Doctor Who: Tales of Terror (2017, BBC Books) and Doctor Who: The Missy Chronicles (2018, BBC Books). He has written the critically acclaimed Lost on Mars trilogy published by Firefly Press.

For further information follow Paul on Twitter @paulmagrs and visit his blog lifeonmagrs.blogspot.co.uk.