Although best known for his novels, Sillitoe has published children's books (starring the character 'Marmelade Jim'), poetry, and plays, such as THE KEY TO THE DOOR (1962), which was based on his experiences as a wireless operator in Malaysia. For further reading: Alan Sillitoe by A.R. Penner (1972); Commitment As Art by Ronald Dee Vaverka (1978 - Dissertation--Uppsala Univ); Alan Sillitoe: A Critical Assessment by S.S. Atherton (1979); Alan Sillitoe by David Gerard (1988); Working-Class Fiction in Theory and Action: A Reading of Alan Sillitoe by P. Hitchcock (1989); Understanding Alan Sillitoe, ed. by Matthew Joseph Bruccoli (1999) - See Kingley Amis, also labelled as "angry young man".