William Peter Blatty was an American author and filmmaker, best known for his novel, The Exorcist, published in 1971. The book, which explores themes of faith and the battle between good and evil, became a bestseller and was later adapted into a highly successful film in 1973, which he also wrote and produced. Blatty was born on January 7, 1928, in New York City and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He graduated from Georgetown University, where he later drew inspiration for his writing. Throughout his career, Blatty wrote several other novels and screenplays, but none achieved the same level of fame as The Exorcist.