Lliam West was born in Liskeard in 1949. He attended the Church School and the old Grammar School. After studying in Reading he moved to London, where he taught, before returning to his home town to continue the family business. This was sold up in 1985, enabling him to devote time to the care of his two sons and elderly father while his wife returned to her career.

For one with an abiding interest in political history and current affairs these were extremely interesting times .... the Murrell case was then something of a cause celebre and, even in sleepy Cornwall, it was still possible to find and talk to survivors of the Lancastria, and to political refugees driven from Franco's Spain. Mature student's study (at evening class and college) then intervened and it wasn't until the purchase of a PC in 1998 that the long incubated ideas started to become the initial draft of Pandora Inn.

As well as Shute (Lonely Road), particular influences on his story telling are Doyle (Micah Clarke), Sinclair (World's End), Spring (Fame is the Spur), and Goddard (Past Caring).

For inspiration he has Cornwall and also there is Judith Cook.