Anil Wilson's father, M. M. Wilson, was a school Headmaster in Gorton Mission School Kotgarh, and worked as a teacher of English and House Master at Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Anil Wilson was educated by the Irish Christian Brothers at St. Edward's School, Shimla. He graduated from Panjab University, later earning a master's degree in English Literature from the Centre for Post Graduate Studies, Shimla. He was selected by the Public Service Commission to work as a lecturer in Colleges in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. During his early years as lecturer he went on to obtain his M.Phil and his Ph.D. He was awarded Ph.D. on his dissertation on the nobel laureate, Isaac Bashevis Singer's fiction titled "The Art and Vision of Isaac Bashevis Singer: An Interpretation".