William Nicholson is a renowned British screenwriter, playwright, and novelist, born on January 12, 1948. His body of work includes highly acclaimed television plays, such as Shadowlands and Life Story, both of which secured the BAFTA Best Television Drama award in their respective years. Other award-winning works include Sweet As You Are and The March.

In 1988, Nicholson was honored with the Royal Television Society's Writer's Award. His theatrical pursuits were equally successful; his first play, an adaptation of Shadowlands for the stage, was named the Evening Standard Best Play of 1990 and later enjoyed a Tony Award-winning run on Broadway. He received an Oscar nomination for the screenplay of the film adaptation of Shadowlands, directed by Richard Attenborough and featuring Anthony Hopkins.

Nicholson has also contributed to the literary world with his illustrations for children's books, including the classic The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, as well as his own works such as Clever Bill and The Pirate Twins for Faber & Faber.