William Horwood (novelist) facts for kids

William Horwood (born 12 May 1944 in Oxford) is an English writer. He is known for his fantasy novels and books for children.

William grew up in Deal, on the East Kent coast. His family life had some challenges. From ages six to ten, he lived in foster care. He also went to school in Germany for a year. At age eleven, he started at a Grammar School.

When he was eighteen, William studied geography at Bristol University. After university, he had many different jobs. These included fundraising, teaching, and working as an editor for the London Daily Mail newspaper.

In 1978, at 34, he left the newspaper. He wanted to focus on writing novels full-time. He was inspired by The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a book he had read a long time ago.

William Horwood's Books

William Horwood has written many popular books. He is famous for his fantasy stories.

The Duncton Chronicles

His first novel, Duncton Wood, came out in 1980. It's a special story about a group of moles. This book was followed by two more, creating The Duncton Chronicles. He also wrote a second group of three books called The Book of Silence.

Other Fantasy Stories

William Horwood has written other fantasy novels too.

• The Stonor Eagles and Callanish are stand-alone books. They tell stories that mix the lives of humans and eagles.
• The Wolves of Time is a duology, meaning it has two books.

Skallagrigg

In 1987, he published Skallagrigg. This novel is about disability, love, and trust. It was later made into a BBC film in 1994.

The Wind in the Willows Sequels

William Horwood has also written several sequels to a classic book. These are new stories that continue the adventures from The Wind in the Willows. This famous book was written by Kenneth Grahame in 1908.

Boy with No Shoes

Boy with No Shoes was published in August 2004. This book is a fictional story based on his own childhood memories. It explores the difficult experiences he had growing up in Kent.

Hyddenworld Series

After almost fifteen years, William Horwood returned to fantasy writing. In 2010, he published the first book in his Hyddenworld series. This series has four books, and each one is based on a season:

• Hyddenworld: Spring
• Hyddenworld: Awakening
• Hyddenworld: Harvest
• Hyddenworld: Winter

These books follow humans and 'hydden' (little folk, like fairies) on an adventure. They are trying to find special gems that hold the powers of each season. If they can bring these gems together, they might be able to restart the fires of a dying universe.

Working with Others

In 2007, William worked with historian Helen Rappaport. They wrote Dark Hearts of Chicago, a mystery and thriller set in the 1800s. This book was re-released in 2008 as City of Dark Hearts. For this version, he used the pen name James Conan.