Ian McCarthy was born in England but has lived in Italy for nearly 40 years with his Italian wife. He was brought up as an atheist but after exploring Christianity and Eastern religions he discovered Unitarianism some time around 1998. He was briefly in Britain studying for a Masters in Literature with the Open University and attended the Cardiff Unitarian Church for almost two years. Then he moved back to Italy and helped to found the "Italian Unitarian Communion" - a name that reflects its diverse composition. In Italy he has worked as an English teacher, a real estate agent and a translator. In his spare time he farms and tries to practice Permaculture.