William Horwood is an English novelist. He was born in Oxford, England, in May 1944 and raised on the East Kent coast, mostly in Deal. His upbringing was intellectually stimulating as his parents were academics, but difficult and abusive as depicted in his memoir, The Boy with No Shoes. His survival and healing from such experiences are profound themes in his work.

At ten, William was sent to school in Germany and later attended Grammar School. At fourteen, inspired by The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, he pursued writing and never wavered from that goal. After tramping around the British Isles, he attended Bristol University to study Geography & Economics.

Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked in various jobs, including fund-raising, teaching, advertising, and journalism. He resigned from the London Daily Mail in 1978 to write his first novel.

His debut novel, Duncton Wood, an anthropomorphic saga about moles, was an instant bestseller. He has written over twenty novels, including the Duncton Chronicles, The Book of Silence, stories about eagles and wolves, as well as sequels to The Wind in the Willows. His novel Skallagrigg was adapted into a BBC film in 1994.

He is currently working on a Covid-related trilogy. William is also a Council Member of the Society of Authors and enjoys hill-walking, art history, and film.