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Notable People
William Boyd
Born 7 March 1952, Accra, Ghana.
An internationally acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, who has won many prizes including the Costa and Los Angeles Times awards.
Connection to the University of Glasgow: Alumnus, Honorary Graduate
GU Degrees: MA, DLitt, 2000;
Honours: CBE;
Discover more novelists on the University of Glasgow Story website
Achievements
The following achievement is associated with William Boyd:
Writing novels and screenplays of international repute.
The quality of William Boyd's books and short stories, has been recognised by the award of several major literary prizes. They have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Honours
The following honours are associated with this person:
Biography
William Boyd is a Glasgow graduate and an internationally acclaimed novelist and screenwriter.
Boyd was born in Accra, Ghana, in 1952. He grew up there and in Nigeria before attending Gordonstoun to complete his schooling. He matriculated at the University of Glasgow in 1971 to study Arts. As a student he honed his literary skills as editor of the Glasgow University Guardian and graduated MA in English and Philosophy in 1975. After graduation he went to Jesus College, Oxford where he studied for a DPhil in English Literature.
He worked as a lecturer in English Literature at St Hilda's College, Oxford, from 1980-1983 and published his first award winning novel, A Good Man in Africa during this period. Since then the list of novels and prizes has lengthened and he has also earned critical acclaim as a screenwriter.
He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1983 and he is the holder of several honorary doctorates including a DLitt from the University of Glasgow on 2nd December 2000. He was appointed CBE in 2005.