Beryl Bainbridge

Born on November 21, 1934, in Liverpool, England, Beryl Bainbridge has been greatly influenced by the images of her childhood. In her novels, she recalls memories of disappointment and of a bad-tempered, brooding father. She became an actress at a young age and worked in English repertory theatres and on the radio. Bainbridge's work contains dark, somber subject matter, deftly mixed with humor. Her writing acts as an outlet for her childhood frustrations, and frequently deals with family relations. She adapted many of her novels, such as "An Awfully Big Adventure" and "The Dressmaker," for film. Her additional works include "A Weekend with Claude" and "Another Part of the Wood." Bainbridge has received many honors, among them a Whitbread Award and a Guardian Fiction Award.