Peter Shaffer and his twin brother Anthony were born on May 15, 1926, in Liverpool, England, where Peter later attended prep school. In 1936, his family moved to London, where Shaffer attended Hall School and St. Paul’s School. From 1944 to 1947, Shaffer worked in the Chislet coal mine. Although the work was difficult, it gave Shaffer a greater understanding and sympathy for the less fortunate.

Shaffer then attended Trinity College in Cambridge, where he received a B.A. in history in 1950. From 1951 to 1954, Shaffer lived in New York and worked a variety of jobs: at Doubleday’s Book Shop, an airline terminal, Grand Central Station, Lord & Taylor department store, and the New York Public Library. Shaffer states that for years he labored under the impression that the passion he had developed for theatre could only be used as a pastime and that his daily profession had to be something “respectable.”

Shaffer wrote three major stage plays in the 1970s: The Battle of Shrivings (1970), Equus (1973), and Amadeus (1979). Included among the numerous awards Shaffer has won in his career are the 1975 Tony and 1975 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play for Equus, as well as the 1981 Tony and 1981 Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play for Amadeus. For his film adaptation of Amadeus, Shaffer won the 1985 Oscar for Best Screenplay (adapted). Following the success of Amadeus, Shaffer’s biblical epic Yonadab premiered at London’s National Theatre in 1985. In 1987, Shaffer was awarded the prestigious honorary title of Commander, Order of the British Empire. That same year, Shaffer wrote the comedy Lettice and Lovage for actress Maggie Smith.

Mr. Shaffer divides his time between New York City
and London.