Ed Kavanagh grew up in Kilbride, Newfoundland and Labrador and now lives in St. John's. He received an Honours B.A. in English and a B. Ed from Memorial University of Newfoundland, a B.A. in Music from Carleton University, and an M.A. in English and Creative Writing from the University of New Brunswick. He has worked as a writer, actor, musician, theatre director, university lecturer, and editor. His stories, essays, dramatic scripts, and poetry have earned 14 awards in the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Competition. Ed has taught creative writing through the extension services of both Memorial University and the University of New Brunswick. He is a past president of the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In addition to the Amanda Greenleaf series of children's books, Ed has also published The Cat's Meow: The 'Longside Players Selected Plays 1984-1989 (co-author and editor), and released a cassette tape of his children's songs: Alison Gross and Other Wickedly Wonderful Songs. In 2001, Killick Press published his first adult novel, The Confessions of Nipper Mooney, which won the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award for Fiction, was a finalist for the Winterset Award, and was also nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His most recent releases are the CD Weaving the Wind: Music from Newfoundland Performed on Celtic Harp and Amanda Greenleaf: The Complete Adventures. This new book includes the three previously published Amanda Greenleaf stories, plus the never-before published fourth and final installment The Journey Home.

Since the publication of his first book in 1986, Ed Kavanagh has travelled widely, visiting many schools and libraries. As a musician, harper, and writer of children's songs, he adds variety to his visits with musical selections on guitar and Celtic harp. He has performed extensively throughout Newfoundland and Labrador as well as in Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Ireland.