William John Francis Naughton, Irish-born British playwright and author, is born on June 12, 1910, in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo. He is best known for his play Alfie.

Born into relative poverty, Naughton moves to Bolton, Lancashire, England, in 1914 as a child. There he attends Saint Peter and Paul’s School, and works as a weaver, coal-bagger and lorry driver before he starts writing with his wife, Erna.

Naughton’s stage play, Alfie, adapted for the 1966 film starring Michael Caine in the eponymous role, originates in a radio play, Alfie Elkins and His Little Life, first broadcast on the BBC Third Programme in 1962, which becomes a production at the Mermaid Theatre in 1963. It transfers to the West End theatre before a very brief run on Broadway. He is a prolific writer of plays, novels, short stories and children’s books. His preferred environment is working class society, which is reflected in much of his written work.

In addition to Alfie, two of Naughton’s other plays have been made into feature films, All in Good Time (1963), filmed as The Family Way (1966), starring John Mills, and Spring and Port Wine (1970), starring James Mason in the role of Rafe Crompton, an adaptation of a play first performed in 1959.

Naughton’s novel Alfie Darling, the sequel to his earlier novel and play, was also filmed, with Alan Price succeeding Michael Caine in the lead role. Both Alfie and Alfie Darling are drawn upon for the 2004 film with Jude Law in the eponymous role.

Naughton’s work also includes the novel One Small Boy (1957), and the collection of short stories The Goalkeeper’s Revenge And Other Stories (1961). His 1977 children’s novel My Pal Spadger is an account of his childhood in 1920s Bolton. His wife dies in 2014 ant the age of 85.

Many of Naughton’s plays are performed at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton. An 85-seat adaptable studio theatre within the Octagon is named after him.

During his lifetime, Naughton receives the following awards: Screenwriters Guide Award (1967 and 1968), Italia Prize for Radio Play (1974), Children’s Rights Workshop Other Award (1978), Portico Literary Prize (1987) and The Hon. Fellowship, Bolton Institute of Higher Education (1988).

Naughton dies on January 9, 1992, aged 81, in Ballasalla on the Isle of Man. A “Bill Naughton Short Story Competition,” administered by The Kenny/Naughton Autumn School, is named in his honour.