Cormac James was born and grew up in Cork, Ireland. Since 2002 he has lived in Montpellier, France.

His first novel, Track and Field, was published in 2000.

After publishing of his novel The Surfacing you can read : "The many he great topic of Cormac James’s The Surfacing is the reach of human possibility. The prose is calm, vivid, hypnotic and acutely piercing. James is attuned to the psychological moment: this is a book about fatherhood and all its attendant terrors. It’s a remarkable achievement…. James recognises the surfacing of love in the face of solitude. A stylish novel, full of music and quiet control. This is a writer that I’d like to see hurry – I’m looking forward already to the next book.’ — Colum McCann

‘The Surfacing is an extraordinary novel, combining a powerful narrative with a considered and poetic use of language in a way that is not often seen these days. Reading the book, I recalled the dramatic natural landscape of Jack London and the wild untamed seas of William Golding. Cormac James’s writing is ambitious enough to be compared with either.’ — John Boyne