Inside the travel writer's diary

William wrote and illustrated his first book at 23

Few people are more qualified than 40-year-old writer William Gray to compile the definitive series of guidebooks on family travel.

The winner of the Travel Writer of the Year Award in 2002 is also a photographer and father of twins.

First came his book Travel with Kids (a British Guild of Travel Writers' award winner in 2008).

Britain with Kids was published earlier this summer and next spring sees the arrival of Cornwall with Kids.

William presented family travel pieces for the 2006 series of the BBC's Holiday programme, and writes regularly for various newspapers and magazines, including Sunday Times Travel and Wanderlust.

At the tender age of 23 (and child-free) William wrote and illustrated his first book, Coral Reefs & Islands: The Natural History of a Threatened Paradise, which was highly commended in the Conservation Book Prize, and acclaimed by Jonathan Porritt as "A truly impressive piece of work, as hard-hitting in its text as it is beautiful in its photographs."

Twins Joseph and Eleanor have totted up 350 hours of flying time

A sought-after photographer, William supplies images to several leading agencies and in 1995 he accompanied Patrick Lichfield as guest lecturer on the Oriana's maiden Atlantic crossing. He now gives slide talks throughout the UK.

William is married to Sally, an educational editor and author. Their eight-year-old twins, Joseph and Eleanor, have totted up over 350 hours flying time.

They've investigated the electrical hazards of countless hotel rooms, destroyed the ambience of several dozen restaurants, thrown up in six different car seats, trekked through the Atlas Mountains, kayaked in New Zealand and made fire with Namibia's Bushmen.

William Gray will recount the highs and lows of the past nine years as a globetrotting parent with an audio diary. We will publish it weekly in four parts on this page - see top right.