Bill Bryson

Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa. Both his parents were journalists, and they provided a strong foundation for Bryson’s interest in writing. Bryson reflects on many of his childhood experiences in Iowa in his book The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Despite his early interest in writing, Bryson dropped out of college, opting to travel in Europe instead, before settling in Britain and marrying a nurse named Cynthia Billen. The pair eventually returned to the United States for a brief spell so that Bryson could complete his degree, before permanently settling in Britain. Bryson worked as a journalist in the 1980s, rising to the rank of chief copy editor at The Times and national news editor at The Independent. Bryson then turned to writing memoir and nonfiction, centering on his personal experiences but interwoven with humor and cultural history. Notably, Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods captures his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail while offering a history of this trek as a cultural phenomenon. Bryson has won numerous awards for his writing. His international bestseller A Short History of Nearly Everything alone earned Bryson five prestigious international science writing prizes between 2005 and 2012. In 2006, Bryson was knighted in Britain for his contributions to literary culture, and the mayor of Des Moines declared October 21, 2006 Bill Bryson Day in honor of Bryson’s depiction of his childhood in Iowa.