Biography.guide
Home › People › Writer › Ransom Riggs
Portrait of Ransom Riggs

Ransom Riggs

b. 1979

American writer and filmmaker

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Ransom Riggs

Born 1979. Ransom Riggs is an American writer, screenwriter, journalist, children's writer, film director and photographer.

Ransom Riggs (born February 3, 1979) is an American writer and filmmaker best known for the book Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Early life and education Riggs was born in Maryland in 1979 on a 200-year-old farm, and grew up in Florida, where he attended Pine View School for the Gifted. He studied English literature at Kenyon College in Ohio, where he was a good friend of John Green. He later studied film at the University of Southern California.

Career His work on short films for the Internet and blogging for Mental Floss got him a job writing The Sherlock Holmes Handbook which was released as a tie-in to the 2009 Sherlock Holmes film.

Another book inspired by old photographs, Talking Pictures, was published by HarperCollins in October 2012.

The second novel in the Miss Peregrine series, Hollow City, was released in January 2014, with the third installment, Library of Souls, following in September 2015. A spin-off book of short stories, Tales of the Peculiar, was released in September 2016.

Personal life Riggs married author Tahereh Mafi in 2013. They lived in Santa Monica, California and later moved to Irvine, California. Their first child, a daughter, Layla, was born on May 30, 2017.

Works Miss Peregrine series Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2011) Hollow City (2014) Library of Souls (2015) A Map of Days (2018) The Conference of the Birds (2020) The Desolations of Devil's Acre (2021) Companion books Tales of the Peculiar (2016), short stories collection Miss Peregrine's Museum of Wonders: An Indispensable Guide to the Dangers and Delights of the Peculiar World for the Instruction of New Arrivals (2022)

Sunderworld series Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry (2024) Sunderworld, Vol. II: The Unfortunate Responsibilities of Leopold Berry (2026)

Comics Miss Peregrine series Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel (2011), with Cassandra Jean Hollow City: The Graphic Novel (2016), with Cassandra Jean

Non-fiction The Sherlock Holmes Handbook: The Methods and Mysteries of the World's Greatest Detective (2009), guide Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past (2012), photographies

Adaptations

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), film directed by Tim Burton, based on young adult novel Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Southern California, USC School of Cinematic Arts, Kenyon College, Pine View School
Awards
Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire for Best Foreign-Language Young-Adult Novel

Family & relationships

Spouse
Tahereh Mafi

People in Ransom Riggs's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ransom Riggs's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ransom Riggs?

American writer and filmmaker

When was Ransom Riggs born?

Ransom Riggs was born on 3 February 1979 in Maryland.

What is Ransom Riggs's occupation?

Ransom Riggs is a writer, screenwriter, journalist, children's writer, film director and photographer.

What nationality is Ransom Riggs?

Ransom Riggs is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ransom Riggs

· Wikidata: Q7293486

· DBpedia: Ransom Riggs

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ransom Riggs. https://biography.guide/ransom-riggs/

MLA: "Ransom Riggs." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ransom-riggs/.

Chicago: "Ransom Riggs." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ransom-riggs/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:07 UTC