Biography

Anne Valery (née Firth) (24 February 1926 – 29 April 2013) was an English screenwriter, author and actress noted for co-writing episodes for the BAFTA-nominated drama Tenko in the early 1980s. The daughter of actress Doriel Paget, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in World War II and later became part of Fitzrovia's literary scene, establishing friendships with several writers. After modelling on the Paris and London catwalks and working as a producer's secretary, Valery began a career in acting in 1949 but was unable to establish a career in this field and turned to presenting on television for the BBC and Associated-Rediffusion.

She operated a secondhand shop by the late 1960s and wrote two volumes of autobiography at the encouragement of her partner Robin Jacques. Valery also wrote television scripts for soap operas and her career saw progression when the BBC asked her to write for the drama show Angels. There she met fellow writer Jill Hyem and the two were commissioned by the BBC to write episodes for Tenko. Valery later wrote the 1986 drama series Ladies in Charge. She was known as an ardent feminist and was an outspoken member of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain.