James Herriot Biography

James Herriot, born as James Alfred Wight, was a successful British veterinary surgeon and a celebrated author. At the age of thirteen, he decided to become a vet, eventually settling down in Thirsk, where he spent his days treating animals far and wide, in course of which he collected many anecdotes. At the age of fifty, he began writing them down, publishing his first book at fifty-four under the pen name James Herriot. Although it sold only twelve hundred copies, he continued to write, compiling his first two books as ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ to be published in USA in 1972. He received global acclaim for it. In 1975, the book was adapted into a film, and three years later, into a television series. Meanwhile, he continued to write and treat animals. In 1980, he stopped working full time, but continued to write, publishing his last book in 1992. He died three years later from prostate cancer.