Melvin Sharty was born to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Liberian father whose lives crossed apart due to the long-decade civil wars in both countries. Melvin went to Holy Trinity Junior and Secondary School in Kenema before moving to Freetown to study for a BA in History and Sociology at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He holds a Master of Global Affairs with concentration in International Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame. Melvin enjoys cooking, drawing, playing piano, and football.
Melvin grew up reading works of fiction from Talabi Aisie Lucan's "Jeneba and the Road," Chinua Achebe's "Chike and the River," Marilyn Awonor Renner's "The Kamara Family," and Lynn Kramer's "Tickets for the Zed Band." After deeply reflecting on how those books inspired some beautiful childhood memories, he was ready to take his notepad and pen to start writing.