Arnold Wesker (b. 1932) is one of Britain's seminal post-war playwrights. His varied writings include essays, short stories, poetry, journalism and 49 plays, which have been translated into 18 languages. His plays include The Kitchen (1957), Roots (1958), Chips with Everything (1962), Shylock (1976), and Honey (2005). He holds honorary doctorates from the University of East Anglia, Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, and Denison University in Ohio and was knighted in the 2006 New Year's Honours list.