Julian Barnes

"Yes, of course we were pretentious -- what else is youth for?"

Winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize for The Sense of an Ending

Julian Barnes was born in Leicester, England on January 19, 1946. He was educated at the City of London School from 1957 to 1964 and at Magdalen College, Oxford, from which he graduated in modern languages (with honors) in 1968. After graduation, he worked as a lexicographer for the Oxford English Dictionary supplement for three years. In 1977, Barnes began working as a reviewer and literary editor for the New Statesmen and the New Review. From 1979 to 1986 he worked as a television critic, first for the New Statesmen and then for the Observer.

Barnes has received several awards and honors for his writing including the Somerset Maugham Award (Metroland 1981), two Booker Prize nominations (Flaubert's Parrot 1984, England, England 1998); Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize (FP 1985); Prix Médicis (FP 1986); E. M. Forster Award (American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, 1986); Gutenberg Prize (1987); Grinzane Cavour Prize (Italy, 1988); and the Prix Femina (Talking It Over 1992). Barnes was made a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1988, Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1995 and Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2004. In 1993 he was awarded the Shakespeare Prize by the FVS Foundation and in 2004 won the Austrian State Prize for European Literature. In 2011 he was awarded the David Cohen Prize for Literature. Awarded biennially, the prize honours a lifetime’s achievement in literature for a writer in the English language who is a citizen of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.

Julian Barnes has written numerous novels, short stories, and essays. He has also translated a book by French author Alphonse Daudet and a collection of German cartoons by Volker Kriegel. His writing has earned him considerable respect as an author who deals with the themes of history, reality, truth and love.

What kinds of books does Julian Barnes write?

Barnes writes novels, short story collections and essays. He has also produced translations and occasional non-fiction, including literary and cultural commentary.

Which of his books have won major awards?

His novel The Sense of an Ending won the 2011 Man Booker Prize. Other recognized works include Metroland, which won the Somerset Maugham Award, Flaubert's Parrot and England, England, which were Booker Prize nominees, and Talking It Over, which won the Prix Femina.

Where is a good place to start reading Julian Barnes?

A widely recommended starting point is The Sense of an Ending, since it is short and prize winning. Flaubert's Parrot is another landmark novel often suggested for first-time readers.