William Horwood, the best selling novelist, was born in Oxford in 1944 and is a former teacher, charity fundraiser and feature editor of the London Daily Mail. He has been a full time novelist since 1980. His titles include four critically acclaimed sequels to Kenneth Graham's 'The Wind in the Willows'; the hugely successful 'Duncton Wood' cult animal fantasy sequence; and 'Skallagrigg', the story about a special needs girl which became an award-winning BBC film. William has six children, was British Boule Society Champion in 1990 and 1994 and is a Lifetime Council Member of the Society of Authors.

William Horwood is a founding member of the British Professional Speakers Association; and Advanced Toastmaster; he holds the Gold Medal in Speaking from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art as well as the Certificate in Speaking of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama [London]; winner of the Anglo Irish International Toastmasters Impromptu Speaking Championship [1996] and Speech Evaluation Contest [1997]; and is Managing Director of 'Speak & Present Ltd', specialists in personal training for presentation skills.