Robert Oxton Bolt (15 August 1924 – 20 February 1995) was an English playwright and screenwriter, renowned for his work in the film industry. He is best known for writing the screenplays for Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and A Man for All Seasons. The latter two won him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Born to a small shopkeeper, Bolt attended Manchester Grammar School, although he later remarked on not making the most of his opportunities there. Initially, he worked in an insurance office before pursuing further education at Manchester University, where he earned a degree in History. A post-graduate year at Exeter University led to a teaching position, first at a village school in Devon and then for seven years at Millfield.

During his teaching tenure, Bolt wrote numerous radio plays that were broadcast, which encouraged him to pursue writing full-time. His stage play, Flowering Cherry, saw success in London, prompting him to leave teaching. By 1960, two of his plays, The Tiger And The Horse and A Man For All Seasons, were running concurrently in the West End.