The British veterinary surgeon & writer James Alfred Wight, OBE, popular by the name Alf Wight was born on 3rd October 1916. James Herriot, known after his pen-name, is most popular for skillfully writing semi-autobiographical stories, collectively known by a single tiltle All Creatures Great and Small.

James Herriot was born in Sunderland, England to singer & dressmaker Hannah and ship plater & pianist James Wight. Herriot attended Yoker Primary School followed by Hillhead High School in Glasgow, Scotland. At age 23, James Herriot became a veterinary surgeon after four years of education from Glasgow Veterinary College. He practiced briefly in Sunderland during early 1940 and then moved to the town of Thirsk, Yorkshire.

James Herriot married Joan Danbury on 5th November 1941. They had two children namely, James Alexander and Rosemary, who were born in 1943 and 1947 respectively. Herriot’s son also became a vet and his daughter turned into a medical doctor. In 1942, James Herriot joined the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. After discharge from the Royal Air Force as a Leading Aircraftman, James Herriot lived with his wife in Thirsk till 1946 and then to 23 Kirkgate till 1953. Finally, James Herriot settled with his family to Thirlby, a village about 4 miles from Thirsk. James Herriot lived in Thirlby for the whole of his life.

At age 50, James Herriot began writing in 1966. If Only They Could Talk came in 1969 in the United Kingdom but its sale was very slow. When Thomas McCormack who was associated with St. Martin's Press received this copy along with the copy of It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet, he published these two books into one under the name All Creatures Great and Small in 1972. The books have illustrated those incidents that happened to him as a veterinary surgeon and as a trainee in the Royal Air Force. The books were made into 2 films and a successful BBC programme, all named All Creatures Great and Small. These books became enormously popular and James Herriot was named one among the best-selling authors both in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Reader's Digest Condensed Book volume consisting All Creatures Great and Small ranked top in that series' history. The book was a great success in the U.S., spawning 6 sequels.

In 1974, Herriot published All Things Bright and Beautiful followed by All Things Wise and Wonderful in 1977. Herriot’s last book entitled Every Living Thing sold 865,000 copies in U.S. and was included in the top 10 bestseller list in Britain. The storytelling style of James Herriot is clear & simple, and he usually describes himself as a shrewd observer of details. His books are often considered as "animal stories" as it is about a country veterinarian’s life. That is why; animals certainly play an important role in many of his stories. Despite his success as an author, James Herroit continued his veterinary practice with his colleague Donald Sinclair until a few years before his death.

James Herriot was under treatment of prostate cancer in the Lambert Memorial Hospital in Thirsk from 1991. At age 78, James Herriot died on 23rd February 1995 at his home in Thirlby. James Herriot's popularity has attracted tourists in Thirsk due to his museum the "World of James Herriot" and a pub named the "Darrowby Fayre".