Harry Johnstone was born in London, United Kingdom. He studied at Trinity College Dublin and the London School of Economics and Political Science. In 2007-08, Harry worked as a policy researcher for the current UK Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson. Harry was then employed by the UN World Food Programme in Uganda and Afghanistan, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Italy. Subsequently, Harry worked for Peaceful Change Initiative, a British organisation focused on peacebuilding in Libya, Syria and Ukraine. Following this, Harry began working for the UN International Organization for Migration, on their Libya programme.

 Harry is also an Advisor for the Center for Empathy in International Affairs. He is a Founder and Director of Sound Foundation, a music charity that has supported children and youth in Uganda with music education and industry opportunities. Sound Foundation is currently looking to promote music as a means for supporting conflict resolution. Harry enjoys writing and has written for the Guardian, the Times Literary Supplement and other publications.