Born in Leicester, England, in 1946, Julian Barnes is the author of two books of stories, two collections of essays, a translation of Alphonse Daudet’s In the Land of Pain, and nine previous novels. His most recent work is Nothing to be Frightened of, an exploration of death, religion, and family.

In France, he is the only writer to have won both the Prix Médicis and the Prix Fémina, and in 2004 he became a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In England his honors include the Somerset Maugham Award and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. He has also received the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He lives in London.

Nothing to be Frightened of, his latest book, is published by Jonathan Cape, Random House Canada, and Knopf.

New Julian Barnes Interview -- The Oxonian Review of Books

Scarlett Baron (DPhil student in English literature at Christ Church, Oxford) recently interviewed Julian Barnes for The Oxonian Review of Books. Published under the title 'Nothing to be Frightened of: An Interview with Julian Barnes', you may read the review on The Oxonian Review of Books website [vol. 7, issue 3, Summer 2008].

Arthur & George Wins the San Clemente Literary Prize

From Xesús Fraga, Barnes's Galician translator: Julian Barnes has been awarded the Arcebispo San Clemente literary prize in the category of foreign fiction for Arthur & George. The prize is given by a jury formed by students from five secondary schools of Galicia, in the Northwest of Spain, who choose the best novel they've read in the last year in three categories: written in Galician, in Spanish and any foreign language. Arthur & George received six votes, while the other shortlisted novels, Terrorist, by John Updike, and Italian Shoes, by Henning Mankell, received one and three votes. Previous winners of the San Clemente prize have been Paul Auster, Javier Marías, Mario Vargas Llosa, Alessandro Baricco, Jonathan Coe, José Saramago, Antonio Tabucci, Carlos Fuentes and Manuel Rivas, among other writers. All of them visited Santiago de Compostela to receive their prize. The next ceremony will probably be held in March and last year's winner, Haruki Murakami, will also attend.

England, France, and Sicily

On England & France: "Vu de Grande-Bretagne: «Surtout ne changez pas !»” Le Nouvel Observateur, 19 June 2008: 14-15 [Barnes discusses the roles of England and France in Europe; Translated by Vanessa Guignery]. On Sicily: Barnes also contributes to a piece in The Guardian published on 14 June 2008 -- "Friends for Faraway Places". Barnes selects three books to supplement a walk through Sicily: Norman Lewis's The Honoured Society (Eland), Michael Dibdin's Blood Rain (Faber), and Goethe's Italian Journey (Penguin Classics).

Ford Madox Ford -- The Good Soldier

The Folio Society has published Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier with an introduction by Julian Barnes. The introduction was also published as "The Saddest Story” in the 7 June 2008 issue of The Guardian. From the introduction: "This is the saddest story I have ever heard." What could be more simple and declaratory, a statement of such high plangency and enormous claim that the reader assumes it must be not just an impression, or even a powerful opinion, but a "fact"? Yet it is one of the most misleading first sentences in all fiction. This isn't - it cannot be - apparent at first reading, though if you were to go back and reread that line after finishing the first chapter, you would instantly see the falsity, instantly feel the floorboard creak beneath your foot on that "heard". For more information on the Folio edition, please visit the publisher's website: www.foliosociety.com.

What I'm Reading: Julian Barnes

Julian Barnes discusses what he is currently reading as part of an article associated with this year's Hay Festival. Of particular note is The Collected Stories by Lorrie Moore, published by Faber and Faber this month. Barnes interviewed Moore as one of the festival's events this year. To read Barnes's contribution, visit the Guardian website for 25 May: http://books.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2282168,00.html  You may purchase Lorrie Moore's The Collected Stories from Faber and Faber, Amazon.co.uk, or one of a number of local independent booksellers.

New Short Story by Julian Barnes

Julian Barnes has published a new short story in the May 19, 2008, issue of The New Yorker. Read the story, titled "East Wind" on their website, or pick up an issue at your local bookseller or newstand.  At The New Yorker website, you can also read other works written by Barnes, including: "Trespass" [Fiction] "The Past Conditional" [Excerpt from Nothing to be Frightened of]

Nothing to be Frightened of

‘I don’t believe in God, but I miss him.’ Julian Barnes’ new book is, among many things, a family memoir, an exchange with his brother (a philosopher), a meditation on mortality and the fear of death, a celebration of art, an argument with and about God, and a homage to the French writer Jules Renard. Though he warns us that ‘this is not my autobiography’, the result is like a tour of the mind of one of our most brilliant writers. When Angela Carter reviewed Barnes’s first novel, Metroland, she praised the mature way he wrote about death. Now, nearly thirty years later, he returns to the subject in a wise , funny and constantly surprising book, which defies category and classification – except as Barnesian. Publication Dates Jonathan Cape: 6 March 2008 LRB Limited Edition: available 14 March 2008 (signed on 4 March) Random House Canada: 15 April 2008 Knopf: 2 September 2008 Order a copy online via Random House, Amazon.co.uk, Random House Canada, Amazon.ca, Knopf, Amazon.com, or one of a number of local independent booksellers. Past Press Julian Barnes discusses his work with Mark Lawson for Front Row (BBC Radio 4), 3 March 2008.

Coffee with Aristotle

Julian Barnes writes the foreword to Coffee with Aristotle, a new book by Jonathan Barnes, the noted Aristotle scholar ... and Julian's brother. Book Description: Not many people can claim to have invented a new science, but Aristotle invented two: zoology and logic. More than two millennia after his death, Aristotle’s thought still influences us. Here, over coffee (a drink Aristotle never tasted), he converses with refreshing and illuminating simplicity about everything from causation and deduction to the role of women and the wonders of the natural world in a pre-scientific age. Order a copy from the Duncan Baird website or via Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

Julian Barnes in South America

Julian Barnes visited South America in January and February as part of a trip sponsored by the British Council. Articles about his visit will be posted shortly. In the meantime, try 'Julian Barnes, el inglés que hizo reír a Buenos Aires [Julian Barnes: The Englishman Who Made Buenos Aires Laugh].' Clarin.com, 8 Feb. 2008.           Photos from his stop in Buenos Aires are courtesy of Carlos Mamud / British Council.       This plaque was placed across from a similar plaque honoring Borges, just outside the library where Borges worked as a young man.

Julian Barnes Conference -- Call for Papers

JULIAN BARNES AND THE EUROPEAN TRADITION Liverpool Hope University Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June, 2008 The photo to the right was taken at the conference during Barnes's interview with John Mullan. As part of the event, Barnes also read selections from his work.   Visit the conference website. Photo copyrighted by Alan Edwards