Jenna Butler was born in Norwich, England, close to the North Sea. Her family emigrated to Canada in the early eighties, initially moving to Toronto and finally settling in Alberta. The sense of belonging to, and simultaneously not quite fitting into, two places-England and Canada-has heavily influenced her work, which often focuses on the varied landscapes of these two countries.

Butler holds BA of Arts and B.Ed. degrees from the University of Alberta, in addition to an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. She is currently immersed in her Doctorate of Creative and Critical Writing from UEA under the supervision of contemporary British poet Denise Riley. She also runs her own poetry house, Rubicon Press, and teaches English at MacEwan University in Edmonton.