Tom Hadaway (1923–2005) was born in North Shields in North East England. It was in the north-east that he began writing plays based on his experiences and observations of the region. Later in his career he worked on television scripts, most notably God Bless Thee Jackie Maddison (1974) as well as episodes of the drama When the Boat Comes In (1976).
He worked with Amber Films and was a key writer for Newcastle's Live Theatre Company featuring local actors like Tim Healy and Robson Green.
In 2002 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Sunderland.
His Prison Plays were published in 2004, edited by Val McLane.