Pete Hay was born on the North-West Coast of Tasmania. He is a retired academic, scholar, writer, community activist and has worked as a political advisor. His specialty has been work in environmental politics and philosophy. He has also maintained a long interest in island life and identity. He has written extensively - books, reviews, essays, papers, creative works and poetry. He was awarded a PhD in political science from the University of Tasmania where he worked from 1985 until his retirement in 2008.