Keith Waterhouse 1929-2009

Keith Waterhouse - journalist, novelist and dramatist - has died at the age of 80.

In addition to his journalism, Waterhouse's range of credits is extraordinary, including Billy Liar (the novel and, with Willis Hall, the play and film adaptations), Whistle Down The Wind (adapted with Willis Hall from Mary Hayley Bell's novel) and Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell. His TV credits range from contributions to That Was The Week That Was and The Frost Report to episodes of Worzel Gummidge.

There are obituaries in The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The Times and The Telegraph:

Waterhouse was given his own column by the Mirror in 1960, and colleagues observed that he often had to be sick before he could produce his copy. But once he had started to work from home, he managed to develop a congenial routine. He began with a long perusal of the national papers before setting to work on an old Adler typewriter to the accompaniment of Radio 3. He would then enjoy an expensive champagne lunch (an event of such importance that he wrote a book on the subject).