Julian Walker worked as an educator at the British Library for 16 years. He teaches book and printing history, and the history of English. Julian is the authority on the English language during the First World War, a subject of ongoing research in the Languages and the First World War project, which he directs. He has written several books on the history of English, in fields such as cooking, sport, and conflict, and is a regular consultant on the history of English words and idioms for BBC local radio.