Deric Longden

Deric Longden
Born	Deric Longden 29 November 1936 Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Died	22 June 2013 (aged 77)
Occupation	Writer, screenwriter
Nationality	British
Genre	Autobiography
Notable works	Lost For Words
Children	1 son, 1 daughter, 4 stepchildren

Deric Longden (29 November 1936 – 22 June 2013) was an English writer and autobiographer.

Longden was born at Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He married Diana Hill in 1957 and had two children. After various jobs he took over a small women's lingerie factory, but began writing and broadcasting in the 1970s for programmes like Does He Take Sugar? and Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. Most of his work was based on his own experience. His wife Diana's illness, subsequently believed to be a form of myalgic encephalomyelitis, forced him to sell the factory. Afterwards, he worked as a full-time writer, broadcaster and speaker.

The bestselling Diana’s Story, published in 1989, was followed by Lost for Words, The Cat Who Came in from the Cold, I’m a Stranger Here Myself, Enough to Make a Cat Laugh, A Play On Words and Paws in the Proceedings.

Deric Longden's first two books were adapted for television, the first retitled Wide-Eyed and Legless. The second, Lost for Words, was screened in January 1999 and won the Emmy for best foreign drama and a BAFTA for Thora Hird as best actress.

After the death of Diana, he married writer Aileen Armitage in 1990 and they moved to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Deric Longden died of cancer of the oesophagus on Saturday 22 June 2013. He was survived by his wife, children, and granddaughter.

Longden's other books describe life with his near-blind second wife Aileen Armitage, also a best-selling author, and their cats:

...
Wikipedia