Willy Russell was born in Whiston, near Liverpool, and left school at fifteen. He worked as a ladies' hairdresser for six years, stacked stockings at Bear Brand, cleaned girders at Ford, before getting into writing, first as a songwriter then as a playwright. He is the author of, amongst others, the multi-award-winning plays - later made into films - Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, and the award-winning West End musical hits Blood Brothers and John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert. He and his family live in Liverpool.