.Richard Perceval Graves was born in Brighton in 1945. He studied Modern History at St John's College, Oxford and after teaching for some years at schools including Harrow and Ellesmere College, he became a full-time writer in 1973.

He is the author of several biographies including Lawrence of Arabia and his World (1976), A. E. Housman: The Scholar Poet (1979) and Richard Hughes (1994). He has also written a three volume biography of his uncle, Robert Graves.

In 1999 he was awarded a Hawthornden Fellowship, and from 2001-2005 he was Chairman of the Powys Society. He has lectured extensively at leading literary festivals including Cheltenham, Hay-on-Wye and Toronto.

He is also a Director of GWS Media Limited which in 2009 was awarded the contract for redesigning the website of Mensa International Limited.