Kenneth Oppel is a renowned Canadian children's writer, born on August 31, 1967, in Port Alberni, a mill town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Oppel spent most of his childhood in Victoria, B.C., and Halifax, Nova Scotia. During his adolescence, he developed a passion for writing, which led him to author his first book, Colin's Fantastic Video Adventure at the age of 14 while attending St. Michaels University School in Victoria. The manuscript was recommended for publication by the famous author Roald Dahl.

He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Cinematography and English from the Trinity College at the University of Toronto. His notable works include the bestselling Silverwing series and Airborn, the latter of which won significant awards such as the Governor General's Award for children's literature and the Michael L. Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association in 2004.

Oppel is married to Felipa Sheppard, with whom he has three children, and resides in Toronto, Ontario.