Harold Pinter was a playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor. Born in East London in 1930, Pinter is widely regarded as a defining figure of twentieth-century British drama. He became known for unpredictable work that highlighted the tension of human relationships and the power struggles hidden within everyday conversation. Two early plays, The Caretaker (1959) and The Homecoming (1964) helped to solidify his reputation, while The Birthday Party (1957)—initially panned—continues to be one of his most-performed works. Later successes include No Man’s Land (1974), Betrayal (1978), Moonlight (1993), and Ashes to Ashes (1996). Pinter received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2005 and was presented with the Légion d’honneur in 2007. He died in 2008.
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