Paul Scott was born at Fox Lane, Palmer's Green, a suburb of London; one of two sons of Tom and Frances Scott. He got his education at Winchmore Hill Collegiate School, a private school in London. He then trained with accounting firm of C.T. Payne in London, and attended evening classes in accountancy, but spent his leisure time writing poetry.

From 1940 to 1942, Paul worked at British Army Brigade Intelligence as a non-commissioned officer. In 1943 he made his first visit to India as officer cadet, working as air supply specialist. He traveled extensively on the subcontinent with side trips to Imphal and Malaya.

After the war Paul returned to Britain, where he worked as accountant and later as company secretary for the Falcon-Greywalls Press in London. Leaving Falcon-Greywalls Press, he joined Pearn Pollinger and Higham (later David Higham Associates) as literary agent.

Paul visited Spain for the first time, making it an annual visit through 1963. In 1960 he left Highanm's to write full time. In 1963 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 1964 he went again to India, financed by Heinemann publishers, and lived with middle-class professional Indian families, beginnin to work at his Raj Quartet.

He went again to India in 1964, then in 1972, for the British Council in connection with the International Book Year. In 1975 Paul visied the United States giving lectures at universities and colleges in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Texas, Illinois and New York. He then served as writer in residence at the Institute of Modern Letters, University of Tulsa.

In 1977, while again in Tulsa for teaching, Paul entered the hospital. While recuperating began to work on a new novel, but the year after, back to the UK, he died of cancer in Middlesex Hospital, London.