Perhaps one of the best known names in the literary world is that of Neil Gaiman. The internationally acclaimed writer has contributed to nearly every genre, earning him a coveted place in the Dictionary of Literary Biography as “one of the top ten living post-modern writers.” But how did the prolific creator become the literary luminary he is today?

Born on November 10, 1960, Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman discovered his passion for books and reading at a young age. Gaiman describes himself as a “feral child who was raised in libraries” devouring the works of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, James Branch Cabell, Edgar Allan Poe, Michael Moorcock, Ursula K. LeGuin, Gene Wolfe, and G.K. Chesterton. When he was older, Gaiman reached out to science fiction writer R.A. Lafferty for advice on become an author. Lafferty responded with an encouraging and informative letter, providing literary advice for a teenage Gaiman. By the early 1980s, Gaiman began pursuing journalism, conducting interviews and writing book reviews. 

During this time, Gaiman found himself waiting for a train at London's Victoria Station where he noticed a copy of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing. This comic reignited Gaiman’s love for comics and would eventually lead to a lifelong friendship with Moore himself. Before branching into comic work, Gaiman wrote his first book, a biography of the band Duran Duran, followed by a biography of Douglas Adams, Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion. Later, Gaiman picked up the Miracleman series after Moore finished his run. He went on to publish comic strips for 2000 AD, before writing the graphic novels Violent Cases, Signal to Noise, and The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch. Eventually, Gaiman was hired by DC Comics and tasked with rewriting an old character, The Sandman.

Gaiman’s groundbreaking Sandman series ran for 75 issues, earning nine Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards and three Harvey Awards. The series was also the first comic to ever receive a literary award, the 1991 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story. Additional comic work for Gaiman includes Swamp Thing, DC’s Secret Origins, Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame, The Book of Magic, Sweeney Todd, Marvel 1602, The Eternals, Batman R.I.P., Wednesday Comics, Action Comics, Age of Ultron, while continuing to oversee The Sandman Universe. Outside of comics, Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling author of Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Anansi Boys and Good Omens. Along with adult titles, Gaiman has written several books for young readers including The Graveyard Book, Coraline, M is for Magic, Interworld, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, and The Wolves in the Walls. 

Several of Gaiman’s original works have been optioned or greenlit for film adaptation, including the 2007 film Stardust and the 2009 stop-motion version of Coraline. A film adaptation of Gaiman’s Newbery Medal winning book The Graveyard Book is in production, as well as a Starz series centered around his Locus award-winning American Gods novel. As Gaiman continues to dominate the literary world and beyond, he encourages the next generation of writers to “Make new mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.”