William John Francis Naughton was born in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, Ireland on 12 June 1910. Bill Naughton lived most his childhood and early manhood in Bolton.

By 1937, he was a coal-bagger for the Co-op and married with a family and was starting to write. Just before war was declared, Bill had bought himself a typewriter and spent long evenings, during the blackouts, writing. He was to become a prolific writer and became well known for plays and short stories which were broadcast on radio and television.

He is famous for writing some of the most enduring British ‘kitchen sink’ dramas such as All in Good Time (later filmed as The Family Way), Spring and Port Wine and the internationally renowned depiction of the swinging 60s in Alfie.

In 1967 Bill won the Screenwriters Guild Award and also provided the first ever play to be performed at the Octagon, Annie and Fanny.  His play Spring and Port Wine (2008) is still the best-selling production in Octagon history.

For more information on Bill Naughton including a comprehensive archive you can visit Bolton Museum and Archive. Bolton Council successfully bid for funding to purchase Bill Naughton's Archive which was offered for sale at Sotheby's for £80,000.  The bid was put together for funding not only to purchase the archive but to catalogue it, provide storage space and to encourage public use. You can read all about it here.