Holly Black


Photo of Holly Black
Holly Black (née Riggenbach) was born in New Jersey in 1971 and while at school enjoyed creative writing. She attended The College of New Jersey and graduated with a B.A. in English in 1994. After college, Holly worked as a production editor on medical journals including The Journal of Pain while studying at Rutgers University. She considered becoming a librarian as a backup career, but writing drew her away. She edited and contributed to the role-playing culture magazine d8 in 1996.

Holly is married to her high school sweetheart, Theo, and lives in Massachusetts.

Author's Comment:
Q: How did you know you wanted to become a writer? / Why did you choose to become a writer?

A: I've always loved reading and I've always loved making up stories. I wanted to be a writer since I was young and I guess I just never stopped wanting it.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for The Spiderwick Chronicles?

A: Tony [DiTerlizzi] and I met three kids who told us they'd had real experiences with faeries. We had no idea whether or not to believe them, but we became intrigued by the idea and we'd also been looking for a project to do together. It was a perfect fit.

Q: Do you really know the Grace children? Can I have their address?

A: I really know the three kids who told us the story, but their real names were changed in the books. I also can't give out their address. Their parents are very concerned about protecting their anonymity.

Nationality: American