Michael McMillan was born in the UK and is a playwright, artist-curator and scholar of Caribbean heritage. After winning an essay competition that took him to FESTAC 77 (The 2nd World Festival of African Arts and Culture), he wrote his play The School Leaver (1978), which was produced at the Royal Court Theatre's Young Writers' Festival. This was followed by Hard Time Pressure (1981), also at the Royal Court. McMillan studied Sociology with African and Asian Studies at Sussex University, has an M.A. in Independent Film & Video from Central Saint Martins School of Art and was awarded the first practice-based Arts Doctorate from Middlesex University in 2010.