View source for Bill Bryson

{{short description|American-British author (born 1951)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Bill Bryson
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE|HonFRS}}
| image = Neil MacGregor, Bill Bryson, Claire Walker, Huw Edwards (28449155987) (Bryson cropped).jpg
| caption = Bryson in 2018
| office = [[Chancellor of Durham University]]
| 1blankname = {{nowrap|[[List of vice-chancellors and wardens of Durham University|Vice-Chancellor]]}}
| 1namedata = {{ubl|[[Kenneth Calman]]|[[Chris Higgins (academic)|Chris Higgins]]}}
| term_start = 5 November 2005
| term_end = 31 December 2011
| predecessor = [[Peter Ustinov]]
| successor = [[Thomas Allen (baritone)|Thomas Allen]]
| birth_name = William McGuire Bryson
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|12|8|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Des Moines, Iowa]], U.S.
| party =
| spouse = {{marriage|Cynthia Billen|1975}}
| children = 4
| education =
| alma_mater = [[Drake University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.drake.edu/2009/04/07/alumni-news-4/ | title=Alumni News | date=7 April 2009 }}</ref>
| awards =
| signature =
| citizenship      = United States<br>United Kingdom
}}

'''William McGuire Bryson''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|aɪ|s|ən}} {{respell|BRYE|sən}}; born 8 December 1951) is an [[American-British]] journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has been a resident of Britain for most of his adult life, returning to the U.S. between 1995 and 2003, and holds dual American and British citizenship. He served as the chancellor of [[Durham University]] from 2005 to 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dur.ac.uk/bill.bryson/ |title=Bill Bryson |publisher=Durham University |access-date=29 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205160504/http://www.dur.ac.uk/bill.bryson/ |archive-date=5 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="imdb">{{IMDb name| 0117445}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{Guardian topic|books/data/author/bill-bryson}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{NYTtopic|people/b/bill_bryson}}</ref>

In 1995, while in the United Kingdom, Bryson authored ''[[Notes from a Small Island]]'', an exploration of Britain. In 2003, he authored ''[[A Short History of Nearly Everything]]''. In October 2020, he announced that he had retired from writing books. In 2022, he recorded an audiobook for Audible, ''The Secret History of Christmas''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Sanderson |first=David |date=15 October 2020 |title=Bill Bryson puts down his pen and picks up a book |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bill-bryson-puts-down-his-pen-for-now-7g39gknmw |access-date=19 October 2020}}</ref> He has sold over 16 million books worldwide.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://wellcomebookprize.org/judge/bill-bryson#:~:text=Bill%20Bryson%20is%20a%20bestselling,into%20more%20than%2030%20languages | title=Bill Bryson &#124; Wellcome Book Prize | access-date=15 October 2022 | archive-date=14 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514221054/https://wellcomebookprize.org/judge/bill-bryson#:~:text=Bill%20Bryson%20is%20a%20bestselling,into%20more%20than%2030%20languages | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="theguardian.com">{{Cite web |date=27 September 2022 |title=Bill Bryson breaks retirement to record Christmas audiobook |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/28/bill-bryson-breaks-retirement-to-record-christmas-audiobook |access-date=13 December 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Bryson was born and raised in [[Des Moines, Iowa]], the son of [[Bill Bryson Sr.]], a sports journalist who worked for 50 years at ''[[The Des Moines Register]]'', and Agnes Mary (née McGuire), the home furnishings editor at the same newspaper.<ref name="Richert">{{Cite book |last=Richert |first=Scott P. |url=https://archive.org/details/billbryson0000rich/page/6 |title=Bill Bryson |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |year=2011 |isbn=9780761441205 |page=[https://archive.org/details/billbryson0000rich/page/6 6]}}</ref><ref name="roots">{{Cite news |last1=Kravetz |first1=Andy |last2=Bruch |first2=Thomas |name-list-style=and |date=28 October 2013 |title=Writer Bill Bryson remembers his Iowa roots |url=https://www.amestrib.com/story/news/local/2013/10/28/writer-bill-bryson-remembers-his/27296524007/ |access-date=5 April 2024 |work=[[Ames Tribune]] |publisher=Gannett Co.}}</ref> His mother was of Irish descent.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bryson |first=Bill |title=The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid |page=121}}</ref> He had an older brother, [[Michael Bryson|Michael]] (1942–2012), and a sister, Mary Jane Elizabeth. In 2006, Bryson published ''[[The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid]]'', a humorous account of his childhood years in Des Moines.<ref name= roots /> In 2006 [[Frank Cownie]], the mayor of Des Moines, awarded Bryson the [[Freedom of the City|key to the city]] and announced that 21 October 2006 would be "Bill Bryson, The Thunderbolt Kid, Day."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Proclamation of October 21, 2006 as 'The Thunderbolt Kid' Day |url=http://www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson/news/CityofDesMoinesProclamation.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625025709/http://www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson/news/CityofDesMoinesProclamation.pdf |archive-date=25 June 2008 |publisher=The City of Des Moines; republished online by Random House}}</ref>

Bryson attended [[Drake University]] for two years before dropping out in 1972, deciding instead to [[Backpacking (hiking)|backpack]] around Europe for four months. He returned to Europe the following year with a high school friend, Matt Angerer (the pseudonymous Stephen Katz).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/09/01/bill-brysons-stephen-katz/71494350/ |title=The real life of Bill Bryson's 'Stephen Katz' |last=Kilen |first=Mike |date=1 September 2015 |website=[[The Des Moines Register]]; [[USA Today]]}}</ref> Bryson wrote about some of his experiences from the trip in his book ''[[Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe]]''.

==Career==
[[File:Bill Bryson Chancellor crop.JPG|thumb|Bryson in the regalia of Chancellor of [[Durham University]] in 2005]]
[[File:BillBryson02.JPG|thumb|Bryson in 2013]]
[[File:BillBryson03.JPG|thumb|Bryson in 2013]]
Bryson first visited [[Great Britain]] in 1973<ref name= utopia /> during his tour of Europe<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/14/bill-bryson-books-interview-follow-up-notes-from-a-small-island |title=Bill Bryson: 'When I came here the UK was poorer but much better looked after' |last=Wroe |first=Nicholas |date=14 March 2015 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> and decided to stay after securing a job working in a psychiatric hospital,<ref name="Stephenson">{{Cite news |last=Stephenson |first=Hannah |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/books/bill-bryson-im-american-but-i-cheer-for-england-now-in-the-world-cup-until-they-get-kicked-out-34136384.html |title=Bill Bryson: 'I'm American, but I cheer for England now in the World Cup until they get kicked out' |date=24 October 2015 |work=[[Belfast Telegraph]]|access-date=12 February 2018}}</ref> the now-defunct [[Holloway Sanatorium]] in [[Virginia Water]], Surrey. He met a nurse there, Cynthia Billen, whom he married in 1975.<ref name="Stephenson" /> They moved to Bryson's hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, in 1975 so Bryson could complete his degree at Drake University.<ref name= roots /> In 1977 they settled in Britain.<ref name="DesMoinesRegister2014">{{Cite news |last=Longden |first=Tom |url=http://data.desmoinesregister.com/famous-iowans/bill-bryson |title=Famous Iowans: Bill Bryson |work=Des Moines Register }}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

He worked as a journalist, first for the ''[[Bournemouth Daily Echo|Bournemouth Evening Echo]]'', eventually becoming chief copy editor of the business section of ''[[The Times]]'' and deputy national news editor of the business section of ''[[The Independent]]''.

The Brysons moved around the United Kingdom, living in Virginia Water (Surrey), Purewell (Dorset), [[Burton, Dorset|Burton]] (Dorset), [[Kirkby Malham]], and the Old Rectory in [[Wramplingham]], Norfolk (2003–2013).<ref name="Dribbling">{{Cite book |last=Bryson |first=Bill |title=The Road to Little Dribbling |publisher=Black Swan |year=2016 |location=London}}</ref> They currently live in rural [[Hampshire]] and maintain a small flat in South Kensington, London.<ref name="Stephenson" /> From 1995 to 2003 they lived in [[Hanover, New Hampshire]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bryson |first=Bill |date=1999 |title=I'm a Stranger Here Myself |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/b/bryson-stranger.html |access-date=5 April 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

Although able to apply for [[British citizenship]], Bryson said in 2010 that he had declined a citizenship test, declaring himself "too cowardly" to take it.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barkham |first=Patrick |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/may/29/bill-bryson-england-citizenship-test |title=Bill Bryson: I'll cheer for England, but I won't risk citizenship test |date=29 May 2010 |work=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref> In 2014, he said that he was preparing to take it and in the prologue to his 2015 book ''[[The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island]]'' he describes doing so, in [[Eastleigh]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nursinginpractice.com/article/interview-bill-bryson |title=Interview: Bill Bryson |last=Bryson |first=Bill |date=3 July 2014 |website=nursinginpractice.com |publisher=Cogora Ltd |interviewer=Jenny Chou}}</ref> His citizenship ceremony took place in [[Winchester]] and he now holds [[Multiple citizenship|dual citizenship]].<ref name="Stephenson" />

===Writings===
While living in the U.S. in the 1990s, Bryson wrote a [[column (periodical)|column]] for a British newspaper for several years, reflecting on humorous aspects of his [[repatriation]] in the United States. These columns were selected and adapted to become his book ''[[Notes from a Big Country|I'm a Stranger Here Myself]]'', alternatively titled ''Notes from a Big Country'' in Britain, Canada, and Australia. During his time in the U.S., Bryson decided to walk parts of the [[Appalachian Trail]] with his friend Stephen Katz (a pseudonym), about which he wrote the book ''[[A Walk in the Woods (book)|A Walk in the Woods]]''. In the 2015 film adaptation of ''[[A Walk in the Woods (film)|A Walk in the Woods]]'', Bryson is portrayed by [[Academy Award]] winner [[Robert Redford]], and Katz by [[Nick Nolte]].<ref name="NYT1999">{{Cite news |last=Gleick |first=Elizabeth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/30/books/notes-from-a-huge-landmass.html |title=Notes from a huge landmass |date=30 May 1999 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

In 2003, in conjunction with [[World Book Day]], British voters chose Bryson's book ''[[Notes from a Small Island]]'' as that which best summed up British identity and the state of the nation.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2824715.stm |title=Bryson tops 'England' poll |date=6 March 2003 |access-date=5 August 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Also in 2003, he was appointed a Commissioner for [[English Heritage]].

His [[popular science]] book, the 500-page ''[[A Short History of Nearly Everything]]'', explores not only the histories and current statuses of the sciences, but also their humble and often humorous beginnings. Although one "top scientist" is alleged to have jokingly described the book as "annoyingly free of mistakes", Bryson makes no such claim, and a list of some of its reported errors is available online.<ref name="chancellor">{{Cite news |last=Crace |first=John |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2005/nov/15/highereducationprofile.highereducation |title=Bill Bryson: The accidental chancellor |date=15 November 2005 |work=The Guardian |access-date=26 April 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210010336/http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/profile/story/0%2C11109%2C1642405%2C00.html |archive-date=10 February 2008 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Errata and corrigenda: 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' by Bill Bryson |url=http://errata.wikidot.com/0767908171 |access-date=5 April 2024 |website=errata.wikidot.com}}</ref>

In November 2006, Bryson interviewed the prime minister, [[Tony Blair]], on the state of science and education.<ref>{{Citation |title=PM in conversation with Bill Bryson |date=29 November 2006 |url=http://number10.gov.uk/output/Page10500.asp |work=number10.gov.uk |publication-date=30 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027173204/http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page10500.asp |publisher=UK Prime Minister's Office |access-date=10 April 2009 |archive-date=27 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Bryson also wrote two popular works on the history of the English language, ''[[The Mother Tongue]]'' and ''[[Made in America (book)|Made in America]]''—and, more recently, an update of his guide to [[Usage (language)|usage]], ''[[Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words]]'' (first published as ''The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words'' in 1983). He also released a podcast, ''Bill Bryson's Appliance of Science'', in 2017.

===Litigation===
In 2012, Bryson sued his agent, Jed Mattes Inc., in [[New York County Supreme Court]], claiming it had "failed to perform some of the most fundamental duties of an agent".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/12/04/52794.htm |title=Author Bill Bryson Takes Agent to Court |date=4 December 2012 |website=Courthouse News Service |location=Pasadena, California |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216073840/http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/12/04/52794.htm |archive-date=16 February 2013 |access-date=31 January 2020}}</ref> The case was [[settled out of court]] with confidential terms.

In 2013, Bryson claimed [[copyright]] on an interview he had given nearly 20 years previously, after the interviewer republished it as an 8,000-word e-book.<ref name="Techdirt-2013-10-21">{{Cite web |last=Masnick |first=Mike |date=21 October 2013 |title=Author Claims Copyright Over Interview He Gave 20 Years Ago |url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131019/03042524937/author-claims-copyright-over-interview-he-gave-20-years-ago.shtml |access-date=31 January 2020 |website=[[Techdirt]]}}</ref><ref name="SMHerald-2013-10-18">{{Cite news |last=Galvin |first=Nick |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/bill-brysons-copyright-stoush-with-mike-gerrard-has-wider-implications-20131018-2vs4n.html |title=Bill Bryson's copyright stoush with Mike Gerrard has wider implications |date=18 October 2013 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |access-date=31 January 2020}}</ref> [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] removed the e-book from publication.

===Awards, positions and honours===
In 2004, he won the [[Aventis Prize]] for best general science book that year, with ''[[A Short History of Nearly Everything]]''.<ref name="descartes">{{Cite news |last=Pauli |first=Michelle |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/dec/07/scienceprizes.billbryson |title=Bryson wins Descartes prize for his guide to science |date=7 December 2005 |work=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref> In 2005, the book won the European Union's [[Descartes Prize]] for science communication.<ref name=descartes/> In 2005, he received the President's Award from the [[Royal Society of Chemistry]] for advancing the cause of the chemical sciences. In 2007, he won the Bradford Washburn Award, from the Museum of Science in [[Boston]], for contributions to the popularization of science.

In 2005, Bryson was appointed [[chancellor (education)|chancellor]] of [[Durham University]], succeeding the late Sir [[Peter Ustinov]].<ref name=chancellor/><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.durham21.co.uk/2008/03/bill-bryson-litter-pick |title=Bill Bryson Litter Pick |date=1 March 2008 |work=[[durham21]] |access-date=17 September 2011 |archive-date=3 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903172343/http://www.durham21.co.uk/2008/03/bill-bryson-litter-pick |url-status=dead }}</ref> He had praised Durham as "a perfect little city" in ''Notes from a Small Island''.

With the [[Royal Society of Chemistry]], the Bill Bryson Prize for Science Communication was established in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rsc.org/AboutUs/News/PressReleases/2005/Westminstersetting.asp |title=Westminster setting for Bill Bryson award |date=31 October 2005 |website=RSC.org |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |access-date=21 November 2010}}</ref> The competition engages students from around the world in explaining science to non-experts. As part of its 350th anniversary celebrations in 2010 the [[Royal Society]] commissioned Bryson to edit a collection of essays by scientists and science writers about the history of science and the Royal Society over the previous three and a half centuries entitled ''Seeing Further''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Radford |first=Tim |date=9 January 2010 |title=Seeing Further: The Story of Science & the Royal Society, edited by Bill Bryson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/jan/09/seeing-further-royal-society-review |access-date=5 December 2022 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2010/seeing-further/| title = Seeing Further – The Story of Science and the Royal Society| date = 28 January 2010|access-date=5 December 2022|publisher=The Royal Society}}</ref>

He was made an honorary [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) for his contribution to literature on 13 December 2006.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6176363.stm |title=Bill Bryson made an honorary OBE |date=13 December 2006 |access-date=5 August 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> In 2007, he was awarded the [[James Joyce Award]] by the [[Literary and Historical Society (University College Dublin)|Literary and Historical Society]] of [[University College Dublin]]. After he received British citizenship, his OBE was made substantive.

In May 2007, he became the president of the [[Campaign to Protect Rural England]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6614295.stm |title=Bryson to head litterbug campaign |date=2 May 2007 |access-date=5 August 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cpre.org.uk/news/view/382 |title=Contact Us |website=cpre.org.uk |publisher=Campaign to Protect Rural England |access-date=2 May 2007 |archive-date=26 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526055153/http://www.cpre.org.uk/news/view/382 |url-status=dead }}</ref> His first focus in this role was the establishment of an anti-littering campaign across England. He discussed the future of the countryside with [[Richard Mabey]], [[Sue Clifford]], [[Nicholas Crane]], and [[Richard Girling]] at CPRE's Volunteer Conference in November 2007.<ref name="NYT1999" /> In 2011, Bryson won the Golden Eagle Award from the [[Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 August 2011 |title=Bill Bryson Wins Prestigious Golden Eagle Award |url=http://www.owpg.org.uk/2011/08/bill-bryson-wins-prestigious-golden-eagle-award/ |website=owpg.org.uk |publisher=Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild |access-date=21 July 2016 |archive-date=9 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809101823/http://www.owpg.org.uk/2011/08/bill-bryson-wins-prestigious-golden-eagle-award/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In October 2010, it was announced that Bryson would step down as chancellor of Durham University at the end of 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.dur.ac.uk/news/newsitem/?itemno=10922&rehref=%2Fnews%2Farchive%2F&resubj=%20Headlines |title=Bill Bryson stepping down as Chancellor |date=20 September 2010 |access-date=4 July 2011 |publisher=[[Durham University]]}}</ref>

In 2012, he received the Kenneth B. Myer Award, from the [[Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health|Florey Institute of Neuroscience]], in Melbourne, Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notes from All Over: An Evening with Bill Bryson |url=https://winterparkinstitute.org/events/notes-from-all-over-an-evening-with-bill-bryson/ |access-date=4 April 2024 |publisher=Winter Park Institute |language=en-US}}</ref>

On 22 November 2012, Durham University officially renamed the [[Durham University Library|Main Library]] the Bill Bryson Library for his contributions as the university's 11th chancellor (2005–2011).<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/library/news/?itemno=15355 |title=The Main Library is being renamed 'The Bill Bryson Library'! |date=25 September 2012 |access-date=27 November 2012 |publisher=[[Durham University]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Bill Bryson Library renaming event, Tuesday 27 November 2012 |date=22 November 2012 |publisher=Durham University}}</ref> The library also has a cafe named after Bryson's book ''Notes from a Small Island''.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.palatinate.org.uk/bill-bryson-library-opens-200-new-study-spaces-and-small-island-cafe/| title = Bill Bryson library opens 200 new study spaces and 'Small Island' café – Palatinate| date = 21 February 2019}}</ref>

Bryson was elected an Honorary [[List of fellows of the Royal Society elected in 2013|Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2013]],<ref name="frs">{{Cite web |url=https://royalsociety.org/people/bill-bryson-11156 |title=Mr Bill Bryson OBE HonFRS Honorary Fellow |publisher=[[Royal Society]] |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005151051/https://royalsociety.org/people/bill-bryson-11156/ |archive-date=5 October 2015}} biographical text reproduced here was originally published by the Royal Society under a creative commons license</ref> becoming the first non-Briton to receive this honour.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://royalsociety.org/about-us/fellowship/new-fellows-2013/ |title=New Fellows 2013 |date=2 May 2013 |publisher=[[Royal Society]] |access-date=3 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://royalsociety.org/about-us/fellowship/honorary-fellows/ |title=Honorary Fellows of the Royal Society |date=23 May 2013 |publisher=[[Royal Society]] |access-date=24 November 2013}}</ref> His biography at the Society reads,

<blockquote>Bill Bryson is a popular author who is driven by a deep curiosity for the world we live in. Bill's books and lectures demonstrate an abiding love for science and an appreciation for its social importance. His international bestseller, ''A Short History of Nearly Everything'' (2003), is widely acclaimed for its accessible communication of science and has since been adapted for children.</blockquote>

He is a Vice President of the [[National Churches Trust]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Presidents and Patrons |url=https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/about-us/our-presidents-and-patrons}}</ref>

In January 2007, Bryson was the Schwartz Visiting Fellow at the [[Pomfret School]] in [[Connecticut]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pomfret Swartz Fellows |url=https://www.pomfretschool.org/podium/default.aspx?t=44764&rc=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023055359/https://www.pomfretschool.org/podium/default.aspx?t=44764&rc=1 |archive-date=23 October 2013 |website=pomfretschool.org}}</ref>

===Honorary doctorates===
* Honorary Doctorate, The [[Open University]], 2002<ref name="utopia">{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/bill-bryson-visits-his-utopia-650507.html |title=Bill Bryson visits his utopia |date=7 May 2002 |work=The Independent |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909034522/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/bill-bryson-visits-his-utopia-650507.html |archive-date=9 September 2010}}</ref>
* Honorary Doctor of Civil Law, [[Durham University]], 2004
* Honorary Doctorate, [[Bournemouth University]], 2005<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 April 2008 |title=Bryson takes to 'Streets of Bournemouth' |url=http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/newsandevents/News/2008/april08/bryson_takes_to_streets_of_bournemouth.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005225021/http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/newsandevents/News/2008/april08/bryson_takes_to_streets_of_bournemouth.html |archive-date=5 October 2016 |access-date=16 July 2018 |publisher=Bournemouth University}}</ref>
* Honorary Doctorate, [[University of St Andrews]], 2005<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/archive/2005/title,42970,en.php |title=Honorary degrees 21st – 25th June |date=20 June 2005 |publisher=University of St Andrews |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818225318/https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/archive/2005/title,42970,en.php |archive-date=18 August 2016 |access-date=11 September 2016}}</ref>
* DLitt, [[University of Leeds]], 2005<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kershaw |first=Andy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0DYv07-W5cC&q=Bill+bryson+leeds+university&pg=PA423 |title=No off Switch |date=4 October 2012 |publisher=Ebury |isbn=9780753541074}}</ref>
* Honorary Doctorate, [[University of Leicester]], 2009<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9XPx3VUr3s | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211110/u9XPx3VUr3s| archive-date=10 November 2021 | url-status=live|title=Bill Bryson – Honorary Degree |date=24 June 2009 |publisher=University of Leicester |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* Doctor of Humane Letters, [[Drake University]], 2009<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.drake.edu/president/historicalresources/honorarydegreesawardedbydrakeuniversity/ |title=Honorary Degrees Awarded by Drake University |publisher=Drake University}}</ref>
* Honorary Doctorate, [[King's College London]], 13 November 2012<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bill Bryson receives honorary doctorate |date=14 November 2012 |publisher=[[King's College London]] |quote=Bill Bryson OBE: the UK's highest-selling author of non-fiction, acclaimed as a science communicator, historian and man of letters.}}</ref>
* Honorary Doctorate, [[University of Westminster]], 2015<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://universitybusiness.co.uk/Article/bill-bryson-receives-honorary-doctorate |title=Bill Bryson receives Honorary Doctorate |date=26 July 2015 |publisher=University Business |access-date=16 July 2018 |archive-date=6 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306160055/https://universitybusiness.co.uk/Article/bill-bryson-receives-honorary-doctorate/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, [[University of Iowa]], May 2016<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Tricia |date=12 May 2016 |title=Author Bill Bryson to receive honorary degree from UI |url=https://now.uiowa.edu/news/2016/05/author-bill-bryson-receive-honorary-degree-ui |access-date=5 April 2024 |work=[[Iowa Now]]}}</ref>
* Honorary Doctorate for services to literature, [[University of Winchester]], October 2016<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.winchester.ac.uk/newsandevents/Pages/University-of-Winchester-honours-prominent-figures-at-Graduation-2016.aspx |title=University of Winchester honours prominent figures at Graduation 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104092215/http://www.winchester.ac.uk/newsandevents/Pages/University-of-Winchester-honours-prominent-figures-at-Graduation-2016.aspx |archive-date=4 January 2017 |access-date=3 January 2017}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
Bryson has written the following books:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:left"
|-
! Title !! style=white-space:nowrap|Publication date !! Genre !! Notes
|-
|''[[Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words|The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words]]''|| {{dts|format=dmy|1984|4|26}} || Language || Republished, in 2002, as ''Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words''
|-
|''The Palace under the Alps and Over 200 Other Unusual, Unspoiled and Infrequently Visited Spots in 16 European Countries''<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 January 2015 |title=Bill Bryson interview: 'I enjoy the preposterousness of life' |url=https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/bill-bryson-interview-author |access-date=5 April 2024 |website=Wanderlust.co.uk |archive-date=5 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405163816/https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/bill-bryson-interview-author |url-status=dead }}</ref>|| {{dts|format=dmy|1985|1}} || Travel ||
|-
|''[[The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America]]''||{{dts|format=dmy|1989|8}} || Travel ||
|-
|''[[The Mother Tongue|The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way]]'' (US) / ''Mother Tongue: The English Language'' (UK) || {{dts|format=dmy|1990|6|1}}|| Language || Adapted for ''Journeys in English'' in 2004 for [[BBC Radio 4]].
|-
|''The Penguin Dictionary for Writers and Editors'' || {{dts|format=dmy|1991|8|29}} || Language || Republished, in 2009, as ''Bryson's Dictionary: for Writers and Editors''
|-
|''[[Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|1992|2|1}} || Travel ||Featuring Stephen Katz
|-
|''[[Made in America (book)|Made in America]]'' (UK) / [[Made in America (book)|''Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States'']] (U.S.) || {{dts|format=dmy|1994|7|4}} || Language ||
|-
|''[[Notes from a Small Island]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|1995|4|4}} || Travel || Adapted for television by [[Carlton Television]] in 1998
|-
|''[[A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|1997|11|1}} || Travel || Featuring Stephen Katz and adapted into [[A Walk in the Woods (film)|a feature film]] in 2015
|-
|''[[Notes from a Big Country]]'' (UK) / ''[[Notes from a Big Country|I'm a Stranger Here Myself]]'' (U.S.) || {{dts|format=dmy|1999|1|1}} || Travel ||
|-
|''[[Down Under (book)|Down Under]]'' (UK) / ''[[In a Sunburned Country]]'' (U.S.) || {{dts|format=dmy|2000|6|6}} || Travel || Republished, in 2002, as an [[omnibus edition|omnibus]] with ''A Walk in the Woods'' titled ''Walkabout''
|-
|''[[Bill Bryson's African Diary]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|2002|12|3}} || Travel || Travels in Africa for [[CARE International]]
|-
|''[[A Short History of Nearly Everything]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|2003|5|6}} || Science || Adapted, in 2009, as an illustrated children's edition titled ''A Really Short History of Nearly Everything''
|-
|''[[The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid|The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: Travels Through My Childhood]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|2006|10|17}} || Memoir ||
|-
|''[[Shakespeare: The World as Stage]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|2007|1|1}} || Biography ||
|-
|''[[At Home: A Short History of Private Life]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|2010|5|27}} || History ||
|-
|''[[One Summer: America, 1927]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|2013|10|1}} || History ||
|-
|''[[The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island]]'' || {{dts|format=dmy|2015|10|8}} || Travel ||
|-
|''[[The Body: A Guide for Occupants]]''<ref name="thebody">{{Cite web |url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/company/news/2019/january/bill-bryson-the-body-a-short-history-of-nearly-everything.html|title=Bill Bryson Returns with The Body: A Guide for Occupants|date=15 January 2019 |website=penguin.co.uk |publisher=Penguin Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pignataro |first=Juliana Rose |url=https://www.newsweek.com/2019/10/18/fall-recommended-books-reading-list-1462735.html |title=21 Books to Curl Up With This Fall |date=3 October 2019 |work=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=31 January 2020}}</ref> || {{dts|format=dmy|2019|10|3}}<ref name="thebody" />|| Science || Illustrated edition published in 2022; children's edition ''A Really Short Journey Through the Body'' published in 2023
|-
|''The Secret History of Christmas''<ref name="theguardian.com"/>|| {{dts|format=dmy|2022|11|22}} || History || Released as an audiobook
|-
|''A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0''<ref>{{cite book | title=A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 | date=21 October 2025 | url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/463567/a-short-history-of-nearly-everything-20-by-bryson-bill/9781529941050 }}</ref>|| {{dts|format=dmy|2025|10|21}} || Science || Fully revised and updated version of his 2003 book
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* [https://openlibrary.org/search?q=bill+bryson&author_key=OL21718A Works] at [[Open Library]]
* {{C-SPAN|43677}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-aca}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Peter Ustinov|Sir Peter Ustinov]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chancellor (education)|Chancellor]] of [[Durham University]]|years=2005–2012}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Thomas Allen (baritone)|Sir Thomas Allen]]}}
{{s-npo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Max Hastings|Sir Max Hastings]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the<br />[[Campaign to Protect Rural England]]|years=2007–2012}}
{{s-aft|after= [[Andrew Motion|Sir Andrew Motion]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{Bill Bryson}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryson, Bill}}
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