John Arden (1930-2012) was a playwright who, although in no limiting sense a regional writer, recognizably belongs to that northern culture which has its roots in the Industrial Revolution and the coalfields. In this 1974 study, Glenda Leeming sketches Arden's roving and sturdily independent career to date and notes the contribution of his wife Margaretta D'Arcy as collaborator and director. Her essay examines the full range of Arden's plays, including some little-known early work and several pieces written for television.

A volume in the Writers and Their Work series, which draws upon recent thinking in English studies to introduce writers and their contexts. Each volume includes biographical material, an examination of recent criticism, a bibliography and a reappraisal of a major work by the writer.