Bill Geldart was born in Marple, Cheshire in 1936. Educated at Hyde Grammar school, he spent his National Service as a photographer with an RAF fighter squadron based in Germany, and afterwards went to the Regional College of Art in Manchester.
Geldart spent some time in what he called ‘a series of poorly paid and boring jobs’, before joining Cheshire Life magazine, where he eventually worked for six years as Art Editor. In 1974 he contributed to the Sunday Times, and subsequently became a very successful book illustrator, particularly for children’s books. He became a freelance illustrator in 1979.