Harold Pinter (10 October 1930 - 24 December 2008) English is a playwright , screenwriter, actor and theater director. He has written for theater , radio , television and film . His early works are often associated with the theater of the absurd. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005 . His most famous works are: The Birthday Party (1957), The Homecoming (1964) and Betrayal (1978), each adapted for a film.