Born in Liverpool Ian Williams graduated from Liverpool University, despite several years suspension for protests against its investments in South Africa. Consequently, he had a variegated career path, which ranged from working on the buses and railways and included a drinking competition with Chinese Premier Chou En Lai and an argument on English Literature with Chiang Ching, aka Mme Mao. He eventually became a full time labor union official until the early eighties, when he moved into full time writing after winning a Nuffield Fellowship to study Indian unions.

In 1987 he was a speech-writer for UK Labour party leader Neil Kinnock during the elections. (Joe Biden's presidential ambitions were derailed when it was revealed that he had plagiarized a Kinnock speech). Since 1989 he has been based in New York.

In 1985, he won the coveted Award for "Byline Mania" from the Liverpool Press Club, clinching the award with the centerfold in the Baptist Times. He has been busily building on the award since. He currently regularly contributes to the Nation, Tribune, China Economic Review, Investor Relations Magazine, Middle East International, FTSE Global Markers, Emerging Markets Review, Salon, Open Democracy, Asia Times, AlterNet, MaximsNews.

He was twice President and twice Vice President of the United Nations Correspondents Association. He originated the UNCA award for best UN coverage in 1995 years ago and is a judge in the New York Overseas Press Club Awards.