'Among the few great writers of our time' Independent

'An exceptionally talented novelist' Sunday Times

'Remarkable for the deep and unwavering insight it gives into child behaviour' The Times

Seen through the eyes of a young boy living on a council estate in a northern town, a pre-war childhood emerges that is universal in its everyday adventures, shifting allegiances, mysteries and occasional tragedy. Yet it is also one that is rooted firmly in a bygone era of innocence.

Acclaimed on its first publication, There is a Happy Land marked the debut of a brilliant new talent and is now seen as a much-loved classic.

He gets into the mind of his eleven-year-old, sees the world from a height of three foot six, trembles with him, is defeated in a fight . . . The book is vivid, accurate, perceptive . . . how brilliant - and how honestly - the author makes his original effect * Observer *
Remarkable for the deep and unwavering insight it gives into child behaviour . . . the candour of his vision and the cunning of his art are such that he captures the very essence of the eleven-minus mind * The Times *
An exceptionally talented novelist * The Sunday Times *
Among the reasons for counting Keith Waterhouse among the few great writers of our time is his ability to relate even the wildest manifestations of modern culture to a previous experience of life which was entirely different * Independent *

In a long and highly successful career, Keith Waterhouse published fifteen novels, including Billy Liar (which has been filmed and staged) and Our Song (also staged), seven non-fiction books and seven collections of journalism. He wrote widely for television, cinema and the theatre, including the highly successful play Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell. He also published two acclaimed memoirs, City Lights and Streets Ahead. He died on 4th September 2009.