James Kelman was born in 1946 and raised in the residential districts of Govan and Drumchapel on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. He grew up in a working-class family, an experience that shaped his worldview and writing style. His upbringing in a post-industrial city provided him with a firsthand understanding of the struggles, resilience, and frustrations of working-class Scottish people, which he portrays in his literature.

James Kelman’s background as a working-class Scot is relevant to How Late It Was, How Late. His own experiences and intimate knowledge of Glasgow’s working-class communities underscore his exploration of class divisions and the human spirit’s resilience in the face of adversity.

Throughout his life, Kelman participated in activism for left-wing causes such as workers’ rights and social justice. He identifies as a supporter of socialist anarchism, a political movement that rejects all forms of authority and undermines institutional power within a state. These ideas are represented in How Late It Was, How Late by Sammy’s distrust and defiance of the police and all agents of the institutions that he encounters.

Kelman abandoned his studies at the age of 15, but he is an autodidactic writer influenced by many literary figures. In his novels, the working-class characters he depicts speak coarsely while also showing an interest in culture and reading.