William Nicholson, born on 12 January 1948, grew up in Sussex and Gloucestershire. He is a renowned British screenwriter, playwright, and novelist. His notable works for television include Shadowlands and Life Story, both of which won the BAFTA Best Television Drama award. Other acclaimed works include Sweet As You Are and The March.

In 1988, he received the Royal Television Society's Writer's Award. His first stage play, an adaptation of Shadowlands, won the Evening Standard Best Play of 1990 and enjoyed a Tony Award-winning run on Broadway. Nicholson was also nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay of the film version, directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Anthony Hopkins.