Maureen Duffy was born on October 21, 1933, in Worthing, Sussex, England, the daughter of Cahia Patrick Duffy and Grace Rose Wright. She grew up in an impoverished environment, and at age six, when World War II broke out, she was evacuated with her mother to Trowbridge in Wiltshire. When she was fourteen, she returned to the family home in Stratford, London. After leaving grammar school, Duffy taught for two years at the City Literary Institute, Drury Lane, London, before going to King's College, London. After graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in English, Duffy taught creative writing for five years in state schools.

Since the 1960s, Duffy has distinguished herself as a poet, playwright, novelist, and biographer. Her first play, The Lay-Off, was produced at the City of London Festival, 1961, and her first novel, the autobiographical That's How It Was, followed in 1962. Her first poetry collection...