Born 1956 in Paris, Jean-Marc Ligny obtained his baccalaureate at the age of 18. He wanted to be a rock guitarist but turned to literature at the age of 20. He writes both for adults and young adults. He was awarded the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire in 1997 for Inner City, the Prix Ozone in 1997 category young-adult for Slum City, the Prix Rosny-Aîné in 1999 for Jihad, the Prix Tour Eiffel in 2001 for Les Oiseaux de lumière, the Prix Bob Morane in 2006 for the serie Monsieur Némo et l'Éternité, the Prix européen Utopiales des pays de la Loire in 2013 for Exodes. In 2007, for his novel Aqua™ he received the Prix Julia Verlanger, the Prix Une autre Terre, the Prix Bob Morane and the Prix Rosny-Aîné.