Melvin Barry Hines was an English author, playwright, and screenwriter born in Hoyland, Barnsley, South Yorkshire in 1939. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL). Hines's work focused on the political and economic struggles of working-class Northern England, particularly in his native West Riding and South Yorkshire region. His novels and screenplays drew from his deep understanding of this community and its challenges. He died in South Yorkshire in 2016.