Ryan Knighton

On his 18th birthday, Ryan Knighton was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a congenital disease marked by a progressive pathology of night-blindness, tunnel vision, and eventually total blindness. His internationally acclaimed book, Cockeyed – an irreverent memoir of going blind, growing up, and getting both wrong – was shortlisted for several awards, including the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour.

He has also written for Esquire, The New York Times, Salon, The Believer, The Sunday Telegraph, The Utne Reader, and The Globe and Mail.

In 2008, Ryan was the Alfred P. Sloan Fellow at the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab, where he wrote the forthcoming screen adaptation of his memoir. His next two non-fiction books: a memoir of blind fatherhood and a travel book called Nothing To See Here.

As for interests, he has a few, but none involve sports or sudden movements. Every year he adds another tattoo to his collection, and hopes it comes close to what he imagines. He teaches at Capilano University in Vancouver, Canada.