John Collee studied medicine at Edinburgh University and has worked as a doctor in the UK, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, the Solomon Islands, and the former Soviet Union.

In addition to his film and TV work he has written three novels - Kingsley's Touch, Paper Mask (1990) and The Rig, (all published by Penguin.) - and contributed a weekly column to The Observer Newspaper.

His adaptation of Paper Mask was his first produced screenplay.

He is married with three children and lives in Sydney, Australia.