About the Author

Bill Naughton (1910-1992) was a British playwright and author best known for his plays Spring and Port Wine and Alfie, the latter which he adapted for screen in the iconic 1966 film starring Michael Caine. Born in Ireland, he grew up in Lancashire and his writing contains vivid evocations of the impoverished mining communities of the North of England, bound together by ties of family, kith and kin. Bill Naughton won the Screenwriters award 1967 and 1968 and the Prix Italia for Radio Play 1974 before settling in the Isle of Man where he wrote several children's books based on his childhood memories.