Niall Griffiths

Niall Griffiths is an English author of novels and short stories, set predominantly in Wales. His best known works include his first two novels Grits and Sheepshagger, and his 2003 publication Stump which won the Wales Book of the Year award.

Griffiths was born in Toxteth, Liverpool, but had a long family link to Welsh roots in West Wales. As a nineyearold boy Griffiths found a secondhand copy of a novel by Rhondda writer Ron Berry in a junk shop. Berry, who wrote from the viewpoint of the industrial working class, but in a more earthy and centred style then many of his more celebrated peers, spoke to Griffiths who was captured by the language and style of the writing. In future years Griffiths continued to cite Berry as a major influence, along with writers Alexander Trocchi and Hubert Selby Jr. In 1976 his family emigrated to Australia, but returned three years later after his mother became homesick.

Source: Wikipedia