James Herriot
Veterinary surgeon and author
Yorkshire vet James Alfred Wight wrote under the name James Herriot, sharing stories of veterinary practice and country life.
1 summary 15 min of listening
British Born 1916 in Sunderland, United Kingdom Died 1995
About James Herriot
Born in Sunderland in 1916, James Alfred Wight qualified as a veterinary surgeon at Glasgow Veterinary College in 1939. He settled in Thirsk, Yorkshire, in 1940 and practised in Yorkshire for almost 50 years. He began writing in 1966, at the age of 50. Because vets of that era were discouraged from advertising, he chose the pen name James Herriot. His first book, If Only They Could Talk, was published in the UK in 1970. In the US, the first two books were joined into one volume called All Creatures Great and Small. Every Living Thing is among his international bestsellers. The series has sold some 60 million copies and led to film and television adaptations. In 1979 Wight received an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). The James Herriot Library at Glasgow Veterinary College is named after him.