Sir Ian James Rankin is a renowned Scottish crime writer and philanthropist, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982. He spent three years writing novels during his supposed pursuit of a PhD in Scottish Literature.

His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the series is now translated into 22 languages, achieving bestseller status on several continents. Ian Rankin has been honored as a Hawthornden Fellow, and is a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award. He has also received two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Rankin holds honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews, and Edinburgh.

A contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review, Ian Rankin has been an influential figure in the realm of crime fiction.