Book description
This book brings together Alan Bennett's diaries for 1980-1995,
with reminiscences and reviews, the diary he kept during the
production of his very first play, Forty Years On, which starred John
Gielgud, together with hilarious accounts of his many television
plays, notably An Englishman Abroad and A Private Function. At the
heart of the book is The Lady in the Van, the true account of Miss
Mary Shepherd, a homeless tramp who took up residence in Bennett's
garden and stayed for fifteen years. From his now-legendary address at
Russell Harty's memorial service to recollections of growing up in
Leeds, Writing Home gives us a unique and unforgettable portrait of
one of England's leading playwrights.
Alan Bennett is one of the most celebrated writers in Britain today.
His play (and film) The History Boys won seven Emmys in New York and was
the most successful play in the history of the National Theatre. His
most recent collection of prose, Untold Stories, has sold over 700,000
copies in hardback and paperback and won the PEN / Ackerley Prize for
Autobiography. He was named Author of the Year at the 2006 British Book
Awards.
