William Wharton

ABOUT WILLIAM WHARTON

A twentieth-century American author, he is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-nominated novel, Birdy, which became an Alan Parker-directed film. His other works include Dad, A Midnight Clear, and Lost Lovers.

He fought in World War II and was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge. He later studied psychology at the University of California-Los Angeles.

His famous debut novel, Birdy, published when he was in his fifties, won the U.S. National Book Award.

He grew up in a working-class Catholic family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He married Rosemary Henry in 1955.

His novel, Birdy, was made into a film starring Nicolas Cage .