“I've been writing all these books that have been largely autobiographical and yet, really, they don't tell you anything about me. I just use my life story as a kind of device on which to hang comic observations. It's not my interest or instinct to tell the world anything pertinent about myself or my family.”

American journalist and author, naturalized British citizen in 2014

Bill Bryson is an American journalist and author, born in the United States and naturalized as a British citizen in 2014. He is known for nonfiction writing on travel, the English language, and science. He moved to Britain in his twenties and spent most of his adult life there, though he also returned to the United States for periods, including 1995 to 2003. From 2005 to 2011, he served as chancellor of Durham University. His books often explore everyday life, language, and the natural world with clarity and wit.