A. L. Barker | |
---|---|
Born | Audrey Lilian Barker 13 April 1918
St Pauls Cray,
Kent, England |
Died | 21 February 2002 | (aged 83)
Occupation(s) | Novelist and short-story writer |
Awards | Somerset Maugham Prize |
Audrey Lilian Barker FRSL (13 April 1918 – 21 February 2002) was an English novelist and short-story writer.
She was born in St Pauls Cray, Kent, and brought up in Beckenham. [1] She was an only child. [2] When Barker turned 16, her father sent her to work at a clockmaking firm, as he did not approve of her seeking further education. [2] She worked in the editorial office of Amalgamated Press, as publisher's reader for the Cresset Press, and at the BBC as a subeditor. [2]
During her lifetime, Barker published ten collections of short stories and eleven novels, one of which – John Brown's Body – was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1970. [3] She was also the winner of the inaugural Somerset Maugham Prize in 1947, with her collection of short stories called Innocents. [2] In 1962, she won the Cheltenham Literary Festival award. [2] Barker was also elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1970. [2]
Barker's work often included themes such as love, good vs. evil, youth vs. experience, and explored children as both the catalyst and victims of events. [4] [5] While not commercially successful during her lifetime, her writing has been well regarded by the literary critics and other authors over time. [6] [2]
Gerald Murnane's novel Inland refers to Barker's 1981 book Life Stories.
A. L. Barker | |
---|---|
Born | Audrey Lilian Barker 13 April 1918
St Pauls Cray,
Kent, England |
Died | 21 February 2002 | (aged 83)
Occupation(s) | Novelist and short-story writer |
Awards | Somerset Maugham Prize |
Audrey Lilian Barker FRSL (13 April 1918 – 21 February 2002) was an English novelist and short-story writer.
She was born in St Pauls Cray, Kent, and brought up in Beckenham. [1] She was an only child. [2] When Barker turned 16, her father sent her to work at a clockmaking firm, as he did not approve of her seeking further education. [2] She worked in the editorial office of Amalgamated Press, as publisher's reader for the Cresset Press, and at the BBC as a subeditor. [2]
During her lifetime, Barker published ten collections of short stories and eleven novels, one of which – John Brown's Body – was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1970. [3] She was also the winner of the inaugural Somerset Maugham Prize in 1947, with her collection of short stories called Innocents. [2] In 1962, she won the Cheltenham Literary Festival award. [2] Barker was also elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1970. [2]
Barker's work often included themes such as love, good vs. evil, youth vs. experience, and explored children as both the catalyst and victims of events. [4] [5] While not commercially successful during her lifetime, her writing has been well regarded by the literary critics and other authors over time. [6] [2]
Gerald Murnane's novel Inland refers to Barker's 1981 book Life Stories.