Anne-Marie Harrison was born and brought up in Paris but has subsequently lived in many different countries. Originally a linguist, she adapted to the many changes brought by the various relocations due to her British husband's job. She spent 16 years in Southeast Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia) during which time she became involved with the local culture and languages through work in national Museums which led to lecturing and a Master's in anthropology (EHESS, Sorbonne) on her return to France in 1995.

She took a degree in English at the Sorbonne and went for postgraduate study to Exeter University where she met her husband. After 12 years in the UK the move to Southeast Asia enabled her to experience many different fields of activity: she worked in Museums, ran a charity in the slum area of Bangkok, coordinated the teaching of English to Vietnamese refugees in Singapore and created a guiding programme in the Philippines. Back in France she became president of a local historical society designed to help British expatriates learn about the culture of their new country of residence, and has also developed a wide range of lectures on Asia and Europe.