Alan Sillitoe was born in 1928 in the manufacturing City of Nottingham. The workers of the industrial centre of the UK were to be the inspiration for many of his works.

Alan Sillitoe came to live in Mallorca funded by a Military Pension like many other artists and writers of the time. The Americans were here courtesy of the GI Bill which funded servicemen and women’s education after the war.  This meant they could choose to work in Europe and have their pension sent monthly to the nearest Post Office.  That was the same for Alan Sillitoe and many others.  He was invalided out of the RAF owing to tuberculosis and he headed for warmer climes.  He started his European adventure in Provence in the South of France.  As his money dwindled, he moved to Mallorca where the cost of living at the time was cheaper.

Alan Sillitoe became one of the Deia set which included Robert Graves.  He himself lived in Soller with his wife – the American poet – Ruth Fairlight. It was with Graves encouragement that Alan Sillitoe gave voice to the ‘Angry Young Man’ within him who tackled issues of the time including the lack of opportunity for the working classes.’Saturday night and Sunday Morning’ was highly acclaimed as a force for social realism.

Alan Sillitoe is remembered as a hard-up writer in Mallorca. Many who helped him out were glad when he eventually found success in his writing.  Success gave him money to settle back in the UK with his family, but he often mentioned his memories of Mallorca in subsequent writings.

Alan Sillitoe is one of many writers who found their muse in Mallorca.

He died in 2010.