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James Alfred Wight OBE FRCVS (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), better known by his pen name James Herriot, was a British veterinary surgeon and author. Born in Sunderland, Wight graduated from Glasgow Veterinary College in 1939, returning to England to become a veterinary surgeon in Yorkshire, where he practised for almost 50 years.
James Alfred “Alf” Wight is the authentic Yorkshire vet and with the help of his children, Jim Wight and Rosie Page, we learn exactly which of these beloved and unconventional characters are true...
- Masterpiece
- Masterpiece
- He Started Writing at Age 50. Wight’s early ambitions to author a book were sidelined by the long hours demanded of a rural vet. He finally began a manuscript in 1965 after some persuading by his wife.
- Legions of Fans Called at His Veterinary Practice. By the late 1970s, James Herriot was becoming a household name, his books each selling more than a million copies.
- Queen Elizabeth was an Admirer. With literary fame came an invitation for Alf Wight to join Her Majesty for lunch. “Over a private [meal] at Buckingham Palace, she told [him] his were ‘the only books that have made me repeatedly laugh out loud,’” the author’s children tell the Daily Mail (UK).
- He Struggled with Depression. For a man who delivered such uplifting stories, it’s a surprise to learn from his son, Jim Wight, that the vet and author suffered from depression at times, and especially after the 1960 death of his father.
Sep 16, 2024 · Since his book If Only They Could Talk was published in 1970, James Herriot – the pen name of James Alfred ‘Alf’ Wight – has delighted generations with endearing stories of his life as a veterinarian in North Yorkshire from the 1930s-50s.
- Lauren Good
Oct 21, 2024 · James Herriot (born October 3, 1916, Sunderland, Durham, England—died February 23, 1995, Thirlby, near Thirsk, Yorkshire) was a British veterinarian and writer. Born James Alfred Wight, he joined the practice of two veterinarian brothers working in the Yorkshire Dales and at age 50 was persuaded by his wife to write down his collection of ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sep 26, 2024 · Although All Creatures fans will know the titular vet as James Herriot, this was actually a pen name for real-life surgeon James Alfred Wight, who was born in Sunderland in 1916 but moved...
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James Alfred Wight was born on 3 October 1916, in Sunderland, County Durham, England to James (1890–1960) and Hannah Bell (1890–1980) Wight. Shortly after their wedding, the Wights moved from Brandling Street, Sunderland to Glasgow in Scotland, where James took work as both a ship plater and pianist for a local cinema, while ...
