Julian Barnes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julian Barnes
Barnes in 2019
Born	(1946-01-19) 19 January 1946 (age 79) Leicester, England
Pen name	Dan Kavanagh (crime fiction), Edward Pygge
Occupation	Writer
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford
Genre	Novels, short stories, essays, memoirs
Literary movement	Postmodernism
Notable awards	Prix Femina 1992 Commandeur of L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 2004 Man Booker Prize 2011 Jerusalem Prize 2021
Spouse	Pat Kavanagh ​ ​ (m. 1979; died 2008)​

Julian Patrick Barnes (born 19 January 1946) is a famous English writer. He is known for his interesting novels, short stories, and essays. In 2011, he won the important Man Booker Prize for his book The Sense of an Ending.

Before that, he was nominated for the prize three other times. Julian Barnes has also written exciting crime stories under a different name, Dan Kavanagh. He has received many awards for his writing, including the Prix Femina and the Jerusalem Prize.

Early Life and Education

Julian Barnes was born in Leicester, England. When he was just six weeks old, his family moved to the suburbs of London. Both of his parents were teachers who taught French.

When he was about 10 years old, his mother told him he had "too much imagination." This might have been a hint about his future as a writer! He went to the City of London School and then studied Modern Languages at Magdalen College, Oxford.

After college, Julian Barnes worked for three years as a lexicographer. This means he helped write the Oxford English Dictionary. Later, he became a reviewer and editor for magazines like the New Statesman. He also worked as a television critic from 1979 to 1986.

Writing Career

Julian Barnes published his first novel, Metroland, in 1980. It tells the story of a young man from London who travels to Paris. This book, like many of his others, has a three-part structure.

His second novel, Before She Met Me (1982), was a darker story about jealousy. Then came his big breakthrough, Flaubert's Parrot (1984). This book was different because it didn't follow a straight timeline. It was about an older doctor who was very interested in the life of the French writer Gustave Flaubert. This novel made Julian Barnes a well-known literary figure.

In 1989, he published A History of the World in 10½ Chapters. This book also used different writing styles and made readers think about human history and knowledge in new ways.

Writing as Dan Kavanagh

During the 1980s, Julian Barnes wrote four crime novels using the name "Dan Kavanagh." He did this to see what it would be like to write very quickly. These books were about a detective named Duffy. While his first novel took eight years to write, the Kavanagh books often took less than two weeks each!

Later Novels and Essays

In the 1990s, Barnes continued to write many novels and articles. Talking It Over (1991) was about a love triangle, where the characters take turns telling their side of the story. He wrote a sequel to this book in 2000 called Love, etc.

His novel England, England (1998) was a funny story about a theme park that copied famous English tourist spots. It explored ideas about what makes a country's identity. Julian Barnes loves France, and he wrote a collection of stories called Cross Channel (1996) about the relationship between Britain and France.

In 2005, he released Arthur & George. This novel was based on a real crime that was investigated by the famous writer Arthur Conan Doyle. This book became very popular and was even on The New York Times bestsellers list.

Man Booker Prize Win

Julian Barnes's 11th novel, The Sense of an Ending, came out in 2011. In October of that year, it won the prestigious Man Booker Prize. The judges said it was a "beautifully written book" that "spoke to humankind in the 21st Century." This book also became a New York Times Bestseller.

In 2013, he published Levels of Life. Part of this book talks about the early history of ballooning and photography. Another part is a short story. The third part is an essay where he shares his feelings about losing his wife, Pat Kavanagh. He wrote about how important she was to him, saying, "The heart of my life; the life of my heart."

Julian Barnes has also spoken out about important issues. In 2013, he criticized the British government for closing many public libraries. He believes libraries are very important for learning and reading.

Personal Life

Julian Barnes's brother, Jonathan Barnes, is a philosopher. Julian Barnes supports human rights organizations like Freedom from Torture. He also supports Dignity in Dying, a group that campaigns for assisted dying.

He has lived in Tufnell Park, north London, since 1983. Julian Barnes married Pat Kavanagh, who was a literary agent, in 1979. She passed away in 2008.

Awards and Honours

Julian Barnes has received many awards and honours for his writing:

• 1981: Somerset Maugham Award for Metroland
• 1985: Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize
• 1992: Prix Femina Étranger for Talking It Over
• 2004: Austrian State Prize for European Literature
• 2004: Commandeur de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (a French honour)
• 2011: David Cohen Prize for Literature
• 2011: Man Booker Prize for The Sense of an Ending
• 2012: Europese Literatuurprijs
• 2021: Jerusalem Prize

List of Works

Julian Barnes has written many books. Here are some of them:

Novels

• Metroland (1980)
• Before She Met Me (1982)
• Flaubert's Parrot (1984)
• Staring at the Sun (1986)
• A History of the World in 10½ Chapters (1989)
• Talking It Over (1991)
• The Porcupine (1992)
• England, England (1998)
• Love, etc (2000)
• Arthur & George (2005)
• The Sense of an Ending (2011)
• The Noise of Time (2016)
• The Only Story (2018)
• Elizabeth Finch (2022)

Short Story Collections

• Cross Channel (1996)
• The Lemon Table (2004)
• Pulse (2011)

Non-fiction Books

• Letters from London (1995) – a collection of his journalism
• Something to Declare (2002) – essays about France
• The Pedant in the Kitchen (2003) – journalism about cooking
• Nothing to Be Frightened Of (2008) – a memoir
• Levels of Life (2013) – a memoir
• Keeping an Eye Open: Essays on Art (2015) – essays about art
• The Man in the Red Coat (2019)

Works as Dan Kavanagh (Crime Novels)

• Duffy (1980)
• Fiddle City (1981)
• Putting the Boot In (1985)
• Going to the Dogs (1987)

As a Translator

Julian Barnes has also translated books from other languages into English:

• Alphonse Daudet: In the Land of Pain (2002)
• Volker Kriegel: The Truth About Dogs (1988)

See also

In Spanish: Julian Barnes para niños