Barry Pilton (born 1946 in

Croydon, Surrey Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensive ...

) is a travel writer, radio and television comedy scriptwriter and novelist. He was educated in

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2-18 private, day and boarding school for boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a public school, it began as the College of God's Gift, founded in 1619 by Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn, with the original purpose of ...

and

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. In 1967-8 he taught English in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and from 1969 worked as a journalist on the ''

Sunday Post ''The Sunday Post'' is a weekly newspaper published in Dundee, Scotland, by DC Thomson, and characterised by a mix of news, human interest stories and short features. The paper was founded in 1914 and has a wide circulation across Scotland, U ...

'', becoming a freelance writer in 1976. He has worked on ''

Not the Nine O'Clock News ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show that was broadcast on BBC2 from 16 October 1979 to 8 March 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, the show features satirical ...

'', '' Shelley'', ''

Week Ending ''Week Ending'' was a satirical radio current affairs sketch show broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1970 and 1998. It was devised by writer-producers Simon Brett and David Hatch and was originally hosted by '' Nationwide'' presenter Michael B ...

'' and ''

Spitting Image ''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ...

''. Between 1984 and 1999 he lived in Llandefailogfach near

Brecon Brecon (; ; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the county town of Breck ...

Mid Wales Mid Wales ( or simply ''Y Canolbarth'', meaning "the midlands"), or Central Wales, is a region of Wales, encompassing its midlands, in-between North Wales and South Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the Senedd covered the unitary autho ...

and his first novel '' The Valley'' is concerned with the effect of outsiders on the rural status quo. He now lives in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, and is working on a television adaptation of ''The Valley''.Bloomsbury.com - Bloomsbury Author Information
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Travel Writing

*''Miles of London'' (1981) (with Sybil Harper) *'' One Man and His Bog'' (1986) (on walking the

Pennine Way The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England, with a small section in Scotland. The trail stretches for from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park and ends at Kir ...

) *'' One Man and His Log'' (1988) (on sailing the

Canal du Nivernais The Canal du Nivernais () links the Loire with the Seine, following approximately the course of the river Yonne in a south to north direction. It first climbs northeast and north to cross the Morvan watershed, then roughly follows the course of t ...

in France) *''An Innocent Abroad'' (1997)

Novels

*'' The Valley'' (2005) *'' Town with No Twin'' (2007) *'' Land of My Neighbours'' (2009)

References

External links

*
Interview with Barry Pilton
(Feb 2005)
Author webpage
1946 births Living people English humorists English travel writers English radio writers People from Croydon Writers from the London Borough of Croydon People educated at Dulwich College Alumni of King's College London 21st-century English novelists English male novelists 21st-century English male writers English male non-fiction writers {{England-writer-stub