Rosalind Barber (born 1964) is an English novelist, poet and academic.

Education

She has a BSc in Biology, an MA in creative writing, the arts and education, and a PhD in English literature, all from the

University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...

. She also has an Open University BA in English literature and philosophy. Barber has worked as a computer programmer.

Novels

Barber's first novel, ''

The Marlowe Papers ''The Marlowe Papers'' is a novel by Ros Barber published in 2012. It won the Hoffman Prize in 2011, the Desmond Elliott Prize in 2013 and was joint-winner of the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award. The novel, written in blank verse, is a ...

'' (2012), is written in

blank verse Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the 16th century", and P ...

. She subscribes to the

Marlovian theory of Shakespeare authorship The Marlovian theory of Shakespeare authorship holds that the Elizabethan poet and playwright Christopher Marlowe was the main author of the poems and plays attributed to William Shakespeare. Further, the theory says Marlowe did not die in Dept ...

. In the book, Marlowe's death is a ruse and he writes plays in Shakespeare's name. The book won the

Desmond Elliott Prize The Desmond Elliott Prize is an annual award for the best debut novel written in English and published in the UK. The winning novel can be from any genre of fiction and must exhibit depth and breadth with a compelling narrative. The winner receiv ...

and the

Authors' Club First Novel Award The Authors' Club Best First Novel Award is awarded by the Authors' Club to the most promising first novel of the year, written by a British author and published in the UK during the calendar year preceding the year in which the award is presented. ...

. Her second novel, ''Devotion'' (2015), was shortlisted for the

Encore Award The £10,000 Encore Award for the best second novel was first awarded in 1990. It is sponsored by Lucy Astor. The award fills a niche in the catalogue of literary prizes by celebrating the achievement of outstanding second novels, often neglecte ...

. Barber made an appearance at the

Brighton Fringe Brighton Fringe is an open-access arts festival held annually in Brighton, England. It is the largest annual arts festival in England and one of the largest fringe festivals in the world. The programme of 2018 included 1008 events at over 166 ve ...

in 2012. She and

Nicola Haydn Nicola Haydn is an actress, director and playwright from Brighton. She trained at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. Career Her one-woman plays include 'Up the Duff', about a young girl grappling with possible pregnancy, and biographical ...

wrote a one-man stage adaptation of ''The Marlowe Papers'' performed in 2016.

Poetry

Of Barber's three volumes of poetry, ''Material'' (2008) was a

Poetry Book Society The Poetry Book Society (PBS) was founded in 1953 by T. S. Eliot and friends, including Sir Basil Blackwell, "to propagate the art of poetry". Eric Walter White was secretary from December 1953 until 1971, and was subsequently the society's chair ...

recommendation. Its title poem, which also appears in the Faber anthology ''Poems of the Decade'' (2015), was in England's school sixth-form syllabus as of 2017.

Academic position

As of 2021, Barber lectures in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at

Goldsmiths, University of London Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Wor ...

Awards

She won the Hoffman Prize in 2011, 2014 and 2018.

Bibliography

Novels

*''The Marlowe Papers'' (2012) *''Devotion'' (2015)

Poetry

*''How Things Are On Thursday'' (2004) *''Not the Usual Grasses Singing'' (2005) *''Material'' (2008)

Non-fiction

*''30 Second Shakespeare'' (2015)

References

External links

Staff page
at

Ros Barber
at

Royal Literary Fund The Royal Literary Fund (RLF) is a benevolent fund that gives assistance to published British writers in financial difficulties. Founded in 1790, and granted a royal charter in 1818, the Fund has helped an extensive roll of authors through its long ...

''Material'' Poem Analysis and CommentaryThe Bard didn’t use Warwickshire dialect – so was he really Shakespeare?
article by Barber at ''

The Conversation ''The Conversation'' is a 1974 American mystery thriller film written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Harrison Ford, Teri Garr, and Rober ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Barber, Ros 1964 births 21st-century English poets 21st-century English novelists English women poets Living people Alumni of the University of Sussex 21st-century English women writers Marlovian theory of Shakespeare authorship Recipients of Desmond Elliott Prize