Bill Bryson

BIOGRAPHY

One of the three children of William and Mary Bryson, William "Bill" McGuire Bryson, OBE, was born on December 8, 1951, in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1972 he left his studies at Drake University to backpack around Europe. After first visiting England in 1973, he later returned and worked in a psychiatric hospital in Virginia Water, Surrey. There, he met a nurse by the name of Cynthia, a native of England who eventually became his wife. The couple moved to the USA so Bryson could complete his B.A., which Drake University awarded to him in 1977. The Brysons then returned to England, where they remained until 1995. Living in North Yorkshire and mainly working as a journalist, Bryson eventually became chief copy editor of the business section of The Times and then deputy national news editor of the business section of The Independent. He left journalism in 1987, three years after the birth of his third child. In 1995, Bryson returned to the U.S. with his family and lived in Hanover, New Hampshire, for some years. In 2003, however, the Brysons and their four children returned to England, and now live near Wymondham, Norfolk. Throughout his writing career he has written best-selling books along with articles for American publications such as The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Outside, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, Bon Appetit, and Sports Illustrated.

HONORS, AWARDS, ETC.

In 1996, he was named Author of the Year at the British Book Awards.

In 1999, Bryson received the National Libraries Association Readers' Choice Award for nonfiction and the New England Book Award for nonfiction.

In a 1999 survey, he was named the most popular author in Britain.

In 2003, in conjunction with World Book Day, voters in Great Britain chose Bryson's book Notes from a Small Island as that which best sums up British identity and the state of the nation.

Also, in 2003, he was appointed a Commissioner for English Heritage.

In 2004, Bryson won the prestigious Aventis Prize for best general-science book with A Short History of Nearly Everything. This concise and popular piece of literature explores not only the histories and current statuses of the sciences but also reveals their humble and often humorous beginnings. One "top scientist" is alleged to have jokingly described the book as "annoyingly free of mistakes."

In 2005, Bryson was appointed Chancellor of Durham University, succeeding the late Sir Peter Ustinov. He had praised Durham as "a perfect little city" in Notes from a Small Island. Bryson has also been awarded honorary degrees by numerous universities.

In April 2006, in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Bryson ran as part of a celebrity relay team in the Tresco Marathon.

In October 2006, his most recent book project, a memoir about growing up in1950s America, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, was published. This is one of the first books to be marketed by a new genre known as the book trailer or vidlit.

In November 2006, Bryson interviewed Prime Minister Tony Blair on the state of science and education.

In December 2006, Bryson was awarded an honorary OBE, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for his contribution to literature.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books on Travel

• The Palace Under the Alps and Over 200 Other Unusual, Unspoiled, and Infrequently Visited Spots in 16 European Countries (1985)
• The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America (1989)
• Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe (1991)
• Notes from a Small Island (1995) (travels in the United Kingdom, his farewell to the country he was temporarily leaving; adapted for television by Carlton Television in 1998)
• A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (1998) (co-stars Stephen Katz)
• I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away (US) / Notes From a Big Country (UK) (1998) (columns about moving back to the USA)
• In a Sunburned Country (US) / Down Under (UK) (2000) (travels in Australia)
• Bill Bryson's African Diary (2002) (travels in Africa for CARE International, to whom all royalties and profits were donated)
• Walk About (2002) (Combined in one volume are Down Under and A Walk in the Woods)

Books on Language

• The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got That Way (1990)
• Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States (1994)
• Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words (2002)

Books on Science

• A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003)

Memoir

• The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir (2006)
  

VARIOUS ARTICLES ABOUT BILL BRYSON

Travel Writer Bryson Wins Science Prize

by Tim Radford
Tuesday June 15, 2004
The Guardian

The £10,000 Aventis science book prize last night went to Bill Bryson, a travel writer with almost no background in science. The American-born journalist-author of bestsellers such as Notes From A Small Island won the prestige-laden award for A Short History of Nearly Everything.

He won against professional scientists and communicators such as the biologist Matt Ridley, shortlisted for the fourth time for his highly praised Nature Via Nurture, and the bookies' favourite, Armand Marie Leroi, the presenter of the Channel 4 series Mutants, and author of the book of the same name.

Bryson's prizewinning science book grew from a moment of revelation while staring out of a window during a long flight across the Pacific.  "It occurred to me with a certain uncomfortable forcefulness that I didn't know the first thing about the only planet I was ever going to live on. I had no idea, for example, why the ocean was salty but the Great Lakes weren't," he wrote. "I didn't know what a proton was, or a protein, didn't know a quark from a quasar, didn't understand how geologists could look at a layer of rock on a canyon wall and tell you how old it was - didn't know anything, really."

His journey through modern research was reviewed warmly. "It's hard to imagine a better rough guide to science" said the Guardian's reviewer.

Bryson Gives Away Aventis Winnings

by Sarah Crown
Tuesday June 22, 2004
Guardian Unlimited

Bill Bryson, who last week won the 2004 Aventis prize for science books despite his almost complete lack of scientific background, today announced his decision to donate the £10,000 prize money to the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) children's charity.

Bryson was awarded the prize for his bestselling book A Short History of Nearly Everything, which traces the history of Earth, humankind and the universe from the Big Bang to the present day.

In response to his announcement, the Aventis Foundation declared that it will match Bryson's donation with a further £10,000 gift to the hospital. Bryson will present the entire sum of money to Great Ormond Street Hospital on June 23 at 10am.

"The Aventis prizes were created to promote and celebrate popular science writing for adults and children," said Bryson, explaining his decision to donate the money to the GOSH children's charity. "I felt that it was appropriate to donate my prize money to a cause which stands for the same principles; the promotion and advancement of scientific thought and progress. Great Ormond Street Hospital children's charity is currently raising funds towards a new gene therapy centre at the Institute of Child Health, the hospital's research partner. I am thrilled that this donation will be used to help buy a piece of equipment for the new laboratories within the centre."

Westminster Setting for Bill Bryson Award

by Brian Emsley
Media Relations Manager
Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA31

October 2005

Bill Bryson, author of the publishing phenomenon A Short History of Nearly Everything, is to be honoured by the Royal Society of Chemistry.  The author will be at the Palace of  Westminster on Tuesday, 1 November, when the Society will confer upon him its President's Award for services to advancing the cause of the chemical sciences. 

His remarkable science book has, in paperback alone, been in the Sunday Times Bookseller top ten listing of general books for an astonishing 68 weeks, achieving sales of 1,032,940 up to yesterday and 3,240 in the last week alone.

Presenting the award at Westminster will be drug discovery scientist Dr. Simon Campbell, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Dr. Campbell will confer the award on Mr. Bryson following an introduction by Science Minister Lord Sainsbury of the Society's Chemistry Week 2005 (4-13 November).

Dr. Campbell, who launched the Royal Society of Chemistry's current Campaign for Chemistry, said today: "We have been privileged this year to have had the support of Bill Bryson, whose book impressed me and many of my colleagues by its outstanding command of detail and by the manner in which it made science accessible and inviting to non-scientists.  In June Bill worked with us to send, at a reduced rate, a copy of his book to every secondary school in Britain, totaling about 5,500, which triggered a gratifying response from head teachers, science teachers, librarians and pupils. On top of this, Bill Bryson is to lend his name and financial support to an RSC prize aimed at schools, which will encourage and reward science writing and communication as part of students' school experience." Dr. Campbell added: "Not surprisingly, the Royal Society of Chemistry is utterly committed to driving home the message that a thriving science base is essential to the future health and wealth of Britain and central to the challenges of the 21st century amongst which are global warming, sustainable energy, and the problems of Third World poverty and disease. Bill Bryson's achievement in A Short History of Nearly Everything is to have engaged millions of lay people, as well as the science community, in the dramatic history of scientific discovery and the universe and by doing so has placed science very much in the public mind. This RSC President's Award is recognition of that remarkable achievement and of Mr. Bryson's personal commitment to our own cause."

Bill Bryson Wins the 2005 EU Descartes Prize for Science Communication

2 December 2005

aventis-foundation.org/_en/keyprojects/new/Descartes%20Science%20Communication%20award%20final.pdf

Bill Bryson today won the 2005 EU Descartes Prize for Science Communication and the €50,000 prize money associated with the prestigious laureate title for his book A Short History of Nearly Everything (which won the Aventis Prizes for Science Books General Prize in 2004). Bill was presented with the award by the European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Pito?nik at a ceremony held at the Royal Society.

The Descartes Prizes are the European Union's highest awards for outstanding transnational scientific research and outstanding science communication. The latter is a "prize of prizes" that is only open to winners of other European award schemes - Bill Bryson was nominated for winning the Royal Society's Aventis Prizes for Science Books in 2004.

Receiving his award Bill Bryson said: "Never has someone been more generously awarded for his ignorance. I'm very grateful to all the scientists who, without exception, helped me to discover the wonder of their science. I'm especially grateful to the Royal Society for nominating me for this award and, in recognition of that, plan to return a small portion of the prize to the Society, in the hope they'll be able to buy the staff a seasonal drink."

Director of Communications for the Royal Society, Dr. David Stewart Boak, said: "We are delighted that Bill Bryon's achievements continue to be recognised and rewarded, following his success at the Royal Society's Aventis Prizes for Science Books in 2004. A Short History of Nearly Everything has helped to inspire, engage and enthral a whole generation about the excitement and wonder of scientific discovery. Our congratulations also go to previous Aventis Prize-winner Frances Balkwill for being a finalist."

Nick Arnold, 2004 Junior Prize winner for ‘Really Rotten Experiments', was also shortlisted for the 2005 Descartes Prize for Science Communication.

Now in their 18th year, the Royal Society's Aventis Prizes for Science Books, encourage the reading, writing and publication of high quality, accessible science books for adults and children. Each year a General Prize is awarded to the author of the best science book for adults, while a Junior Prize goes to the author of the best children's science book. The 2006 winners will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony at the Royal Society in London on 16 May 2006.

In 2005 the General Prize went to Philip Ball for Critical Mass, the Junior Prize was awarded to Lord Robert Winston for his book What Makes Me, Me?, his first book for children. More information on the awards is available at www.aventisprizes.com.