Meet William
Author Biography
If you ask William Rawlings where he lives, you will likely be told “in the Center of the Universe.” The thought comes from Lewis Thomas, the talented physician, scientist and essayist who compared a writer’s world to a universe swirling around the tip of his pen. Indeed, for an author and a physician, there are few richer sources of inspiration than that of a small, rural Southern town.
Rawlings was born, raised and still lives on the family farm in Sandersville, Georgia, where he is the son, grandson, nephew and brother to physicians who have served the area for more than a century. He was educated at Emory University in Oxford and Atlanta, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honorary Society. He earned his Doctorate in Medicine and a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology at Tulane University in New Orleans. Completing his postgraduate medical training in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, he returned to Sandersville to practice medicine with his father. He has received numerous awards and accolades over the years, including the award of an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Mercer University in 2011.
Writing is an interest that developed relatively late. “Unlike a number of other authors, I didn’t grow up with a burning desire to be a writer.” Rawlings says. “But sometimes you have a story that just needs to be told, and so I hammered out my first book. To my great surprise, it was quite successful, and now writing occupies much of my free time.” Working first in the genre of “Southern suspense,” his first five novels were commercially successful, earning positive reviews and interest from Hollywood. He then turned to writing non-fiction, for the most part Southern history, and later in various genres including true-crime, suspense fiction, and biography. During his writing career, Rawlings’s books have received positive reviews and literary acclaim. He is a four-time recipient of Georgia Author of the Year Awards in the genres of History and Suspense.
Rawlings's most recent books, both to be released in 2026, are a biography of Reg Murphy, noted journalist and businessman, who during the course of his long career made great contributions to journalism, civil rights and higher education, and An Ordinary Murder, a fascinating true-crime account of a bizarre Georgia murder case involving the Okefenokee Swamp, an airplane and alligators. He is currently working on his eighteenth book, a history of Indian Springs, Georgia, a unique site from both a historical standpoint, and as the state's leading resort for much of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This book is scheduled for publication by Mercer University Press in 2027.
Outside of his literary career, Rawlings has multiple business interests, as well as an addiction to travel, especially in Central and South America. “I think I inherited that from my grandfather, a country doctor who had a real fascination with Latin America and traveled there many times from the 1930s through the 1950s,” he said.
Rawlings is married to the former Elizabeth Dunwody of Macon. They have two daughters, both of whom are engaged in professional careers. Now retired from the practice of medicine, he divides his time between attending to his business interests, travel, and writing.
As an author, Rawlings welcomes and encourages feedback (both positive and negative) from his readers. "I appreciate other opinions and always try to answer letters and emails promptly." He enjoys giving talks and presentations to civic and book clubs, historical societies and other groups. Feel free to contact him by email (dirkrawlings@gmail.com), by phone at 478-232-8599, or by mail at Post Office Box 737, Sandersville, Georgia 31082.