Gordon was born in Brisbane, Australia and grew up on the South Side of Glasgow, Scotland.

He studied at Aberdeen University, edited the university newspaper, and graduated in English before working in various jobs: pubs, a carpet factory, a lodging house for the homeless and a fish-processing factory. He started a Masters at Glasgow University but then jumped ship to run a radical bookshop in Aberdeen before deciding to train as a teacher.

He taught English in secondary schools in Glasgow, Western Australia and Clydebank before working for Learning and Teaching Scotland as a development officer, then for East Dunbartonshire Council as a Quality Improvement Officer in the education department.

He lives in the West End of Glasgow with his family. His interests include playing and watching football, reading, playing the guitar, listening to music and watching films. The locations in his writing will be familiar to Glaswegians.