1937- . British poet and translator. Born in
Leeds, he became resident dramatist of the
National Theatre but caused controversy with
v 1987, dealing with the desecation of his
parent's grave by Liverpool football
supporters, and The Blasphemers' Banquet 1989
which attacked (in the name of Moliere,
Voltaire, Byron, and Omar Khayyam) the death
sentence on Salman Rushdie. He has also
translated and adapted Moliere.