William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, (born December 8, 1951) is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before returning to the US in 1995. In 2003 Bryson moved back to Britain, living in the old rectory of Wramplingham, Norfolk, and was appointed Chancellor of Durham University.

Bill shot to prominence in the United Kingdom with the publication of Notes From A Small Island (1995), an exploration of Britain, for which he made an accompanying television series. He received widespread recognition again with the publication of A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003), which popularised scientific questions for a general audience.