Bill Bryson hints he is planning to retire from writing

Bill Bryson (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin)

Writer Bill Bryson has suggested that he is planning to retire and that it is time to “indulge myself rather than explore new territory”.

The travel and science author, 68, said he had been testing the waters and “treating retirement as an experiment so far this year”.

Speaking on Times Radio, he said his experiment had been a success and that he was “pretty likely” to continue with it.

Read more: Bill Bryson in running for science literary prize

Bill Bryson (PA)

The US-born writer has spent most of his adult life living in the UK, and became well known for Notes From A Small Island, his 1995 book about Britain.

However, during the Times Radio interview with Stig Abell he hinted that his wanderings might be behind him.

“There is no twitching going on in me at all,” he said.

Bryson said he had been worried he would run out of things to do if he put down his pen but that he had discovered that there were plenty of other things to be enjoyed.

The news is likely to disappoint fans of Bryson’s work, which includes Notes From A Big Country, The Body, A Walk In The Woods and The Lost Continent.

Bill Bryson (PA)

The author came to the UK in his 20s and met nurse Cynthia Billen, who he later married and had four children with.

They returned to the USA but later settled in the UK.

He has since sold millions of copies of his books worldwide.

Additional reporting by PA.

Watch: Michael Palin opens up on his Simpsons cameo