Neil Gaiman is credited with being one of the creators of modern comics, as well as an author whose work crosses genres and reaches audiences of all ages. In 1991, Sandman became the first comic ever to receive a literary award, the 1991 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story. The groundbreaking series Sandman followed, collecting a large number of US awards in its 75 issue run, including nine Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards and three Harvey Awards. This early graphic novel led to their series Black Orchid, published by DC Comics. Gaiman describes his early writing: 'I was very, very good at taking a voice that already existed and parodying or pastiching it.' Violent Cases was the first of many collaborations with artist Dave McKean.

His first book was a Duran Duran biography that took him three months to write, and his second was a biography of Douglas Adams, Don't Panic: The Official Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion. Gaiman began his writing career in England as a journalist. I was the sort of kid who devoured books, and my happiest times as a boy were when I persuaded my parents to drop me off in the local library on their way to work, and I spent the day there.

A self-described 'feral child who was raised in libraries,' Gaiman credits librarians with fostering a life-long love of reading: 'I wouldn't be who I am without libraries.

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