William Nicholson biography

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

William Nicholson

William Nicholson

William Nicholson Biography

William Nicholson was born in 1948, and grew up in Sussex and Gloucestershire. He was educated at Downside School and Christ's College, Cambridge, and then joined BBC Television, where he worked as a documentary film maker. There his ambition to write, directed first into novels, was channeled into television drama. His plays for television include Shadowlands and Life Story, both of which won the BAFTA Best Television Drama award in their year; other award-winners were Sweet As You Are and The March. In 1988 he received the Royal Television Society's Writer's Award. His first play, an adaptation of Shadowlands for the stage, was Evening Standard Best Play of 1990, and went on to a Tony-award winning run on Broadway. He was nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay of the film version, which was directed by Richard Attenborough and starred Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.

Since then he has written more films - Sarafina, Nell, First Knight, Grey Owl, and Gladiator (as co-writer), for which he received a second Oscar nomination. He has written and directed his own film, Firelight; and three further stage plays, including Map of the Heart, Katherine Howard and The Retreat from Moscow.

His novel for older children, The Wind Singer, won the Smarties Prize Gold Award on publication in 2000, and the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award in 2001. Its sequel, Slaves of the Mastery, was published in May 2001, and the final volume in the trilogy, Firesong, in May 2002.

He lives in Sussex with his wife Virginia and their three children.

William Nicholson's website

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Interview

William Nicholson discusses Seeker, the first volume in a three part trilogy for teens; and talks about his life.

Although perfectly suitable and intriguing for adults, Seeker is targeted for a teenage audience. Do you feel that teens are interested in exploring the idea of the supernatural or of the supreme?

The true answer is, I don’t know. I personally was fascinated by the supernatural when I was a teenager. I think it interested me more than anything. I wanted to know what mattered most in life, what was most real and lasting, whether God existed and what God asked of me, and what sort of experiences lay beyond my immediate perceptions. Those fascinations remain with me to this day.

What might readers take from the Noble Warriors saga? Do you hope that the book will inspire some to lead more noble lives?

It may sound pompous, but yes, I do. I’ve tried to create characters who have real ideals, who want to make the world better in whatever way they can. And then I’ve tried to dramatize that journey. I was reacting to a certain extent to the superhero culture that suggests that all that’s needed to save the world is a trick power and a fancy suit. I think what’s needed is more complex, and involves more sacrifice.

In Seeker, Morning Star and Seeker are decent, unselfish, law-...

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Books by this Author

Books by William Nicholson at BookBrowse
Amherst jacket Motherland jacket Noman jacket Jango jacket
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All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for William Nicholson but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Trezza Azzopardi

    Trezza Azzopardi

    Trezza Azzopardi was born in Cardiff, UK. She is a graduate of the Creative Writing Program at the University of East Anglia and is an external examiner for Creative and Cultural Studies at Norwich School of Art and Design.

    ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Society of Others

    Try:
    Remember Me
    by Trezza Azzopardi

  • Susanna Clarke

    Susanna Clarke

    Susanna Mary Clarke (born 1 November 1959) is an English author best known for her debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004), a Hugo Award-winning alternative history. Clarke began Jonathan Strange in 1993 and worked ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Society of Others

    Try:
    Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
    by Susanna Clarke

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