He is from Bury, England, grew up in Manchester and was educated at Trinity Civil Engineer High School and Xaverian College, before going on to receive a first class Bachelor Honours degree from the University of Glamorgan (now the University of South Wales).
He also runs a poetry press in Manchester. He started in journalism career in 1996, for British computer magazines at Future Publishing, Dennis Publishing and Ziff-Davis before moving on to edit several titles at Live Publishing. He edited Personal Computer Utilities, Linux User & Developer, Personal Computer Extreme, plus various spin-off titles.
Magazines he was a staff member on include Personal Computer Plus, Computer Buyer and Personal Computer Direct.
Thomas continues to write for several magazines, including Micro Mart, Writers" Forum and iCreate. In 2004 Thomas wrote his first computer book, Beginning SUSE Linux (Apress).
The following year he wrote Beginning Ubuntu Linux (Apress), which became the first English-language title to cover the fledgling operating system. Keir has also written Ubuntu Kung Fu (Pragmatic Bookshelf), Mac Kung Fu (Pragmatic Bookshelf) and Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference.
He self-publishes and blogs for Personal Computer World, MacWorld and Cult of Mac.
As a "professional hobby" Thomas runs Puppywolf, an independent poetry press in Manchester, United Kingdom known for publishing local authors. Its flagship publication is Best of Manchester Poets (BoMP), a yearly anthology showcasing the best writing from new and established poets in the area.
