Tom French was born in Kilkenny in 1966 and raised across the border in Tipperary. He received a bursary in literature from An Chomhairle Ealaíon/The Arts Council, Ireland in 1999, and his first collection Touching the Bones (Gallery Press, 2001) was awarded the Forward Prize for First Collection 2002.

He lives with his family close to the coast of County Meath where he earns his living in the County library service.

His second collection The Fire Step was published in October 2009.