When Keith Waterhouse published Billy Liar in 1959 it became an instant classic.
Perfectly capturing the zeitgeist of the era, Billy is a working-class lad living in a humdrum town somewhere in the north of England, who dreams of escape to London.
The novel was such a success that it became first an award-winning film, then a long running stage musical, and finally a TV series. The whole nation followed the adventures of Billy as he dreamed, schemed, and flirted his way through life. But what becomes of him when at last he “grows up”?
In this sequel, sixteen years on, he still hasn’t reached London. Instead, he is stuck in a dead-end job at the town council, with a drunk for a boss and very little to do. Married to Jeanette, ex of the typing pool, they share a small flat with his long-suffering mother.
But Billy can still dream, and he can still charm. He acquires a mistress, and because she is also married much of their affair is conducted at the heritage motor lodge just off the M1. Will his boss spot them and report back to the typing pool?
Written with the irreverent wit which made Keith Waterhouse a household name, Billy Liar on the Moon is a hilarious satire on corporate, provincial life in postwar Britain. Billy is one of popular culture’s great creations – with no respect for age or authority, he remains as real and as charming today as when Waterhouse first put him on the page.
Praise for Billy Liar on the Moon:
'Side-achingly, laugh-aloud funny' – The Times
‘Among the few great writers of our time’ – Auberon Waugh, The Independent
Keith Waterhouse was one of the most successful writers of mid-century Britain. Born in Leeds in 1929, the son of a costermonger, he worked first at the Yorkshire Post before moving to London, where he began a long career at the Daily Mirror. He published a number of titles, including Office Life and the hilarious Theory and Practice of Lunch. He wrote the script for hit play Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell and for many films, including Whistle Down the Wind. During his time at the Mirror he campaigned against the colour bar in Britain as well as other liberal causes. He died in 2009 at his home in London.