Pinter, Harold (1930- )

English dramatist and poet. He specializes in the tragicomedy of the breakdown of communication, broadly in the tradition of the Theatre of the Absurd, for example The Birthday Party (1958; filmed 1968) and The Caretaker (1960). He was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Other plays include The Homecoming (1965), Old Times (1971), Betrayal (1978), Moonlight (1993), and Celebration (2000). His anthology Various Voices: Prose, Poetry, Politics, 1948-1998 was published in 1998.

Pinter was born in East London, of Jewish descent. After writing poetry for magazines during his teens, he pursued a career as an actor, before concentrating on writing. He also wrote for radio, television, and film. His screenplays include The Go-Between (1971) and The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981).