Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole (1884-1941) was a New Zealand-born English novelist, famous for his skill at scene setting and vivid plots. He was a best-selling author in the 1920s and 1930s and remains popular to this day.

"The Beard" is the touching and insightful tale of a narcissistic and pompous father who is struggling to raise his pubescent son, who is enraged and embarrassed at his father yet the co-dependency between the two still exercises a magnetic pull. The story explores the development of their relationship and how both of them are forced to grow up.