James Herriot was the pen name of James Alfred Wight, a British veterinary surgeon and author whose tales of life as a country vet in the Yorkshire Dales have entertained readers worldwide for decades.
Born on 3 October 1916 in Sunderland, Wight’s journey to becoming one of Britain’s best-loved authors began with his graduation from Glasgow Veterinary College in 1939. After completing his studies, he returned to England to begin his career as a veterinary surgeon in Yorkshire, where he would practise for nearly half a century.

In July 1940, Wight moved to a rural practice in the Yorkshire Dales market town of Thirsk, which would become the inspiration for the fictional town of Darrowby in his future writings.
The Dales, with its rugged beauty and long pastoral heritage, played a central role in both Wight’s professional life and his literary works. The rolling hills, green valleys, and close-knit farming communities of the region were the backdrop for his veterinary practice as well as the inspiration for his stories.
THE BIRTH OF JAMES HERRIOT
Despite his early ambitions to become an author, Wight’s demanding schedule as a rural vet initially left little time to write. It wasn’t until 1965, at the age of 50 and with encouragement from his wife, Joan, that he began to seriously pursue his writing.

Wight’s first attempts were met with rejection. However, a pivotal suggestion from a publisher’s to write in the first person, given that his stories were based on real-life experiences, provided his breakthrough. In 1970, under the pen name James Herriot – chosen after seeing a Scottish goalkeeper of the same name on TV – Wight published his first book: ‘If Only They Could Talk’.
LITERARY SUCCESS
While initial sales in the UK were modest, Wight’s fortunes changed dramatically when his first two books were combined and published in the United States as ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. The compilation became an instant bestseller, launching a series of hugely popular books that would go on to sell some 60 million copies worldwide.

Herriot’s books, set in the 1930s to 1950s, paint a vivid picture of rural life, capturing the essence of the people, the animals, and the landscape with warmth, humour, and keen human observation.
The stories are as much about the people of the Yorkshire countryside as they are about the creatures he treated. His shrewd, often quirky 22observations about the relationships between animals and their owners form a central theme in his work.
And he reflects the changes in veterinary practice over the years, alongside shifts in agriculture and British society.
LEGACY AND ADAPTATIONS
His books have been adapted into successful films and TV series, including the long-running BBC series ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ and a more recent adaptation by Channel 5.
Herriot was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1979, and the James Herriot Library was established at the University of Glasgow in 1995 in his honour.

Herriot’s love of the Dales shines through in his writing: ‘I grew to love Yorkshire so much it was the place I wanted to be whenever I wasn’t working or writing’.
Even long after his books brought him fame and fortune, Wight continued his veterinary practice in Yorkshire, only retiring in the late 1980s. He passed away on 23 February 1995 in the village of Thirlby, near Thirsk, leaving behind a rich legacy of literature that continues to attract readers – and inspire new generations of veterinarians.