Blue plaque unveiled for acclaimed Leeds-born writer Keith Waterhouse
A blue plaque has been unveiled to remember acclaimed novelist, playwright and former YEP reporter Keith Waterhouse.
Keith Spencer Waterhouse was born in a back-to-back house on Low Road in Hunslet on February 6, 1929.
From humble beginnings in south Leeds, he rose to see his name in lights outside West End theatres. During a newspaper strike in 1956, he wrote his first novel, There Is A Happy Land, set on a Leeds housing estate.
And in 1959 he leapt to fame with Billy Liar, the story of a daydreamer planning his escape from his job as an undertaker. He famously left the first 10,000 words of the book in a taxi, which he later said was "the best thing that happened to me" because it was "pretentious twaddle".
In 1963, Billy Liar was turned into a film starring Tom Courtenay. And his twice-weekly column appeared in the Mirror for 16 years. He died in 2009, aged 80.
A blue plaque was unveiled in his honour by Leeds Civic Trust in association with Leeds Literature Festival on the public library at Waterloo Street in LS10, near the place of his birth.
Dozens of people turned out for the unveiling at Hunslet Community Hub and Library by YEP editor Laura Collins and academic Anthony Clavane.
YEP editor, Laura Collins, said: "Keith Waterhouse is quite simply a legend in the world of journalism and literature . We are very proud that he first cut his teeth at the paper as part of a glittering career spanning 60 years."
Leeds Civic Trust director, Martin Hamilton, said: "Although London-based for much of his life, he remained proud of his Leeds roots and recognised how the city had shaped him as a writer.”
Leeds Civic Trust promotes the improvements of Leeds in the spheres of planning, architecture, heritage and city amenities. It is responsible for the 'Blue Plaque' scheme around the city.