What is Bill Bryson's Net Worth?
Bill Bryson is an American-British author and journalist with a net worth of $10 million. Known for his popular non-fiction works such as A Walk in the Woods, Notes from a Small Island, and A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bryson announced his retirement from writing books in 2020 but later recorded the audiobook The Secret History of Christmas. Additionally, he served as the chancellor of Durham University from 2005 to 2011.
Early Life and Education
William Bryson was born on December 8, 1951, in Des Moines, Iowa to Bill Sr. and Agnes, both employees of the Des Moines Register newspaper. He has a brother named Michael and a sister named Mary. Bryson attended Drake University but dropped out in 1972 to backpack across Europe, later returning to complete his degree.
Career Beginnings
In 1973, Bryson visited the United Kingdom and decided to stay after securing a job at a psychiatric hospital in Surrey, England. He transitioned to journalism, working with the Bournemouth Evening Echo, The Times, and The Independent. While in the United States in the 1990s, Bryson wrote a column for a British newspaper about his repatriation experience.
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Books
In 1984, Bryson published his first book, The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words. His subsequent works, including travel and language books, solidified his reputation. Notable titles include The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America (1989), The Mother Tongue: English & How it Got That Way (1990), Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe (1992), and Notes from a Small Island (1995). The 1998 book A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail was later adapted into a feature film. Other significant works include Notes from a Big Country, Down Under, and A Short History of Nearly Everything.
In the 2000s, Bryson continued with popular works such as Bill Bryson's African Diary (2002), the memoir The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid (2006), and Shakespeare: The World as Stage (2007). He explored history in At Home: A Short History of Private Life (2010) and One Summer: America, 1927 (2013). His more recent works include The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island (2015) and The Body: A Guide for Occupants (2019).
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Honors and Awards
Bryson has been honored extensively for his contributions to science and language. He received the Royal Society Prize for Science Books in 2004 for A Short History of Nearly Everything and the Royal Society of Chemistry's President's Award in 2005. In 2006, he was named an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire and in 2007 received the Bradford Washburn Award and the James Joyce Award.
In 2012, Bryson was awarded the Kenneth B. Myer Award and was named an honorary fellow of the Royal Society in 2013. He has also received honorary doctorates from institutions including Durham University, Bournemouth University, the University of Leicester, King's College London, and the University of Iowa. As chancellor of Durham University, one of the main libraries was renamed in his honor.
Personal Life
Bryson met nurse Cynthia Billen while working at the Holloway Sanatorium in Surrey in the 1970s. The couple married in 1975 and lived in various places in England. Between 1995 to 2003, they resided in Hanover, New Hampshire, before returning to England, where Bryson became a British citizen. Together, they have four children.
