As a celebration of our alumni, each month we will highlight a new book written by one of Oxford's North American-based alumni.
For August 2018, our author is Robert Campbell McWilliams, Wadham College (1978).
Robert McWilliams was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but moved with his journalist father’s job to the south of England at the age of three. Rob graduated from Wadham College, Oxford, with a BA Hons. in Modern History. After university, he worked as a tour guide and English teacher in France and Spain, before joining Reuters news agency in London. Rob spent 16 years at Reuters as a business manager in Hong Kong, Japan, the US, Venezuela, and Brazil.
For nearly 20 years, Rob has lived in Connecticut with his wife and daughters, and is now a US citizen. Tired of corporate life, he quit his job to fulfill a stubborn ambition to walk the length of Scotland. He has contributed the Taking a Hike column to local newspapers every month for five years. Taking a Hike placed second in the general column category of the 2017 Connecticut Press Club awards. Rob has also written for A.T. Journeys, the official magazine of the Appalachian Trail, and Ctvisit.com. The Kiss of Sweet Scottish Rain is his first book and it takes the reader on a walk across Scotland. The walk is an obstinate ambition, and the start of a new direction in his life. McWilliams crosses wild and beautiful landscapes, meets an ever-changing cast of companions, and passes through communities from remote hamlets to the smiling, but rough-edged, city of Glasgow.
Rob enjoys hiking, and travel off the beaten track. He does consulting work on information privacy, and volunteers with the Nature Conservancy, Appalachian Trail, Norwalk River Valley Trail, and other outdoor causes.
You can purchase THE KISS OF SWEET SCOTTISH RAIN: A WALK FROM CAPE WRATH TO THE SOLWAY FIRTH on Amazon.
Are you an alumni author?
If you have written a book which was published within the last three years, or is due to be released soon, please email us the following information.
Your full name
Alumni number (or college/year of matriculation)
Title of book
Date of publication
ISBN
Link to purchase the book online
We thank you for sharing your books with us, and will let you know if you are selected for a feature in the coming months.
To look back at previous Alumni Authors, please visit the pages below:
Alumni Author July 2018
Alumni Author June 2018
Alumni Author May 2018
Alumni Author April 2018
Alumni Author March 2018
Alumni Author February 2018