Meet the faces Behind Your Favorite Crossword Puzzles – World’s best Crossword Writers

We have all been solving crossword puzzles day after day, focusing really hard on the clues and the probable solutions to them. But, has it ever crossed your mind to give just one small thought about the writer who actually wrote that puzzle for us? The answer for most of us will be No. And it’s true! We get so drawn into the clues that we hardly have time to focus on the author who spent some of the most precious hours of his day or probably week, writing this interesting and intellectual puzzle for us. But, let’s not do any more injustice to them, and simply take some time to know better the various crossword writers who have been contributing these daily crosswords that we so love solving, each and every single day.

Crossword team

WILL SHORTZ – THE PUZZLEMASTER / THE NEW YORK TIMES

The renowned crossword editor of the equally famous daily, The New York Times, Will Shortz has been writing crossword puzzles from the young age of 14. A graduate from the Indiana University, Will actually designed his own study program in 1974, leading to the birth of a graduation program called Enigmatology, also known as the study of puzzles. Will has been the editor of the NYT ever since 1993 and is also the founder of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (1978), The World Puzzle Championship (1992) and lastly, The World Puzzle Federation (1999).

FRANCIS HEANEY – PUZZLEWRIGHT PRESS

The former editor of the Games Magazine and Enigma (official publication house of the National Puzzlers League), Francis Heaney is one of the best crossword constructors in the league. He has contributed his work in the American Values club Crossword and written a large number of puzzle books which include Sudoku in Space, Brain Games for Word Nerds and more. He also works as an editor for the Puzzlewright Pressm editing books such as Patrick Berry’s Puzzle masterpieces, Puzzlecraft by Thomas Snyder and Mike Selinker and many more.
Francis is also the Lollapuzzoola 8 winner and stood at the third place in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (2007 and 2009).

DAVID STEINBERG – CROSSWORD PRODIGY / PRE-SHORTZIAN PUZZLE PROJECT

A child prodigy, David Steinberg has been creating puzzles from the young age of 14 for the reputed New York Times under puzzle master, Will Shortz. If there is anyone who can be compared to Will Shortz’s brilliance, it’s this young crossword master. Introduced to crossword puzzles by his parents at a very young age, David’s parents helped him become the mastermind he is today. Since his first crossword in 2011, David has published more than 500 puzzles in the popular dailys’ such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Daily Celebrity Crossword, Fireball Crosswords, Buzzfeed and The American Values Club Crossword.

PETER GORDON – FIREBALL CROSSWORDS

If you have been solving crossword puzzles at the New York Sun and Fireball Crosswords, well you need to thank Peter Gordon for it. Peter is the founder of Fireball Crosswords and has been the former crossword editor of the famous daily The New York Sun. Gordon has been constructing crosswords since 1989, when his first puzzle was published in Games. He is also the editorial director for Puzzlewright Press, spending most of his time editing puzzle books. Gordon graduated from M.I.T majoring in Maths and is one of the best crossword constructors in the field.

STAN NEWMANTHE NEWSDAY

When you are a crossword lover and the proud winner of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, well you are bound to make an awesome career as a crossword constructor. Newman a mathematics major from the Brooklyn College, also holds a Master’s Degree in statistics from the Rutgers University. Newman started his career as a crossword constructor after he won the first U.S Open Crossword Championship held in 1982. Newman also went on to win the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament the same year. Today, he is the author and editor of more than 100 crossword books.

Some of the other famous crossword constructors who contribute crosswords daily to all the most popular magazines, papers and books include Trip Payne, Patrick Blinder, Tyler Hinman, Marc Breman and Brenden Emmett Quigley.