Alfred John Brown (21 August 1894 – 1 March 1969) was an English literary and topographical writer, born in Bradford in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England.

In World War One he served as a Gunner with the 2/2 West Riding Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery before being medically discharged in 1916 with post-diphtheria paralysis and he subsequently spent six years in recovery.

[7] He subsequently returned to the Bradford wool trade and established an overseas textiles sales agency which he ran together with one of his sons.

[10] His first two published books were 'A Joyous Entry into Brighter Belgium'[11] a travelogue and a semi-autobiographical novel entitled 'The Lean Years' (under the pseudonym Julian Laverack).

The novel describes the recuperation of an invalided soldier working in the West Riding wool trade after World War 1 mirroring Brown's recovery from diphtheria from 1916 onwards.

A secondary theme of the book is the author's comments on, and personal dismay at, the increasing use of country roads and lanes by cars and motor cycles to the detriment of the enjoyment of those who go on their own two feet.

[23] In these books Brown documents journeys on foot across Yorkshire and describes in detail the scenery, history and character of the locations visited.

He inspired whole generations of Dales' lovers and walkers to explore the county of foot and he became something of a Yorkshire icon in his day, e.g.: he was one of six Bradford authors invited to compile a Book of Words for the Bradford Historical Pangeant in 1931;[24][25] he was invited to be inaugural guest speaker for the Cambridge University Yorkshire Society in March 1936 and again a year later at that Society's first anniversary dinner.

As a child he lived at 13 Spring Place, Little Horton, Bradford, with elder siblings, Edwin and Gertrude, and younger twins, Tom and Vera.

[10] In 2019 Alfred J Brown earned the distinction of having a biographical entry placed in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

A collection of A J Brown's literary manuscripts, personal papers and correspondence has been placed with West Yorkshire County Archives in Bradford.