Born and raised in Wexford, Ireland, Colfer began his career as a schoolteacher. In the early 1990s, Colfer and his wife traveled to Tunisia, which became the inspiration for his first novel, Benny & Omar, a book that follows the adventures of a young boy and his friend in Northern Africa. Colfer and his wife, Jackie, returned to Wexford in the mid-1990s, and he continued his career as a primary school teacher, spending his time after school writing stories. 

Soon Colfer began experimenting with the fantasy genre, crafting the dark and suspenseful novel The Wishlist. Following the small-time criminal, Meg Finn, who must redeem her wicked ways after being killed in the first chapter, the novel was an instant hit with critics.

It was the Artemis Fowl series that put Colfer on the map, and the five novels that make up Fowl's exploits are both adventurous and comical. Recently turned into an exciting graphic novel, Artemis Fowl has also recently been optioned by Miramax Films, with production already underway. The film is expected to hit theatres in 2009.