William Nicholson (writer) facts for kids

William Benedict Nicholson (born January 12, 1948) is a British writer. He writes for movies (screenwriter), plays for the stage (playwright), and books (novelist). He has even been nominated for an Oscar, which is a very famous movie award, two times!

Early Life and Education

William Nicholson grew up on a farm in Hillesley, Gloucestershire, in England. He was born in Lewes, Sussex. From a young age, he loved writing. By the time he was ten, he knew he wanted to be a writer.

As a teenager, he started his own local newsletter called The Hillesley Harvester. He wrote and edited it for his village. He went to Downside School and then studied at Christ's College at Cambridge University.

Career as a Writer

William Nicholson started his career working for the BBC. He directed documentary films in the 1970s and 1980s.

He became well-known for his books, especially his fantasy novels. His popular Wind On Fire trilogy won the Blue Peter best book award and the Smarties Gold Award for Best Children's Book. He has written many novels and fantasy stories.

In 1988, he married another author, Virginia Nicholson.

Writing for Stage and Screen

William Nicholson has written many successful plays and movie scripts. He was nominated twice for Tony Awards for his plays Shadowlands and The Retreat from Moscow.

He also turned his play Shadowlands into a BBC-TV show in 1985. Later, it became a famous movie in 1993, starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger. This movie was about the relationship between C. S. Lewis and Joy Gresham.

He wrote screenplays for other movies like Nell (1994), First Knight (1995), and Grey Owl (1999). He also helped write the script for the Oscar-winning movie Gladiator (2000).

In 1997, he directed his first movie, Firelight. Later, he co-wrote Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). In 2012, he adapted the famous musical Les Misérables into a movie. He has also written other historical dramas like Unbroken, Everest, and Breathe. In 2019, he directed another film called Hope Gap.

Awards and Recognitions

William Nicholson has received many awards and nominations for his work.

• In 1989, his TV play Sweet as You Are was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award.
• For the 1993 movie Shadowlands, he was nominated for both a BAFTA and an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
• In 1997, he was nominated for an Emmy for his TV drama Crime of the Century. He also won a special prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival for his movie Firelight.
• The year 2000 was very successful for him. The movie Gladiator, which he co-wrote, won the Oscar for Best Picture. He was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay for Gladiator.

In 2015, he was given the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a special honor from the British government for his contributions to drama and literature.

Filmography

See also