Alan Paton was born on January 11, 1903 in Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa. He was a writer and producer, known for Cry, the Beloved Country (1951), Lost in the Stars (1974) and Terra amata (1995). He was married to Doris Olive Francis. He died on April 12, 1988 in Lintrose, Botha's Hill, Natal.