Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. His bestselling books include The Road to Little Dribbling, Notes from a Small Island, A Walk in the Woods, One Summer and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. In a national poll, Notes from a Small Island was voted the book that best represents Britain.

His acclaimed work of popular science, A Short History of Nearly Everything, won the Aventis Prize and the Descartes Prize, and was the biggest-selling non-fiction book of its decade in the UK. His latest book, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize and is an international best-seller.

Bill Bryson was Chancellor of Durham University from 2005 to 2011. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society. He lives in England.

Tim Whitnall is an English playwright, screenwriter and former actor. His plays include an adaptation of Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island and Morecombe, a tribute to the late comedian Eric Morecambe.

In 2012, BBC Four screened his 90-minute drama Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story, which won the BAFTA Breakthrough Talent Award 2013.