Simon Gray was born in 1936. He began his writing career with Colmain (1963), the first of five novels, all published by Faber. He is the author of many plays for TV and radio, also films, including the 1987 adaptation of J L Carr's A Month in the Country, and TV films including the Emmy Award-winning Unnatural Pursuits. He wrote more than thirty stage plays amongst them Butley and Otherwise Engaged (which both received Evening Standard Awards for Best Play), The Common Pursuit, Hidden Laughter and The Late Middle Classes (winner of the Barclay's Best Play Award). In 1991 he was made BAFTA Writer of the Year. His acclaimed works of non-fiction include his Early Diaries, The Smoking Diaries and Coda. He was appointed CBE in the 2005 New Year's Honours for his services to Drama and Literature. Simon Gray died in August 2008.