P. K. Page was born in England and brought up on the Canadian prairies. She was out of the country for many years with her diplomat-husband, Arthur Irwin, and now lives in Victoria, British Columbia. She is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, including three books for children. Among other honours, she has won the Governor General's Award for poetry for The Metal and the Flower (1954). She is also a visual artist whose works are represented in The National Gallery of Canada and The Art Gallery of Ontario.

P. K. Page is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and holds honourary doctorates from four Canadian universities. The Winter 1996 number of The Malahat Review is a tribute to her life and work.