Thomas Archibald Barron (born March 26, 1952) is an American writer of

fantasy literature Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. Fa ...

, books for children and young adults, and nature books.

Biography

Barron spent his early childhood in

Harvard, Massachusetts Harvard is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is located 25 miles west-northwest of Boston, in eastern Massachusetts. A farming community settled in 1658 and incorporated in 1732, it has been home to several ...

, a town full of

apple orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of lar ...

s and New England history (including the childhood home of Louisa May Alcott). His family moved to

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

and he spent much of his youth on a ranch in the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...

. Barron's writing reflects his great passion for nature and the spiritual values of the natural world, as well as his belief in the power of every person. He studied history and politics at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

, where he was a Trustee, before he won a Rhodes Scholarship to attend

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

. He also has business and law degrees from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. To further his education, he spent a year traveling with his backpack around Europe, Asia, and Africa. He served as president of a private equity firm in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

before changing careers in 1990, when he returned to

with his wife, Currie, and their children to become a full-time writer and conservationist. Since then, he has written more than thirty novels, children's books, non-fiction books, and nature books. In 2011, he received The de Grummond Medallion for "lifetime contribution to the field of children's and young adult literature." He has also won the Nautilus Award Grand Prize, and many other literary awards. He is actively involved with environmental and conservation organizations, including The Wilderness Society,

Earthjustice Earthjustice (originally Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund) is a nonprofit public interest organization based in the United States dedicated to litigating environmental issues. Headquartered in San Francisco, it has 14 regional offices across the Un ...

, World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, the Alaska Conservation Foundation, and Colorado Open Lands. In 2001, he founded a national prize to celebrate outstanding young people, who help other people or the environment—th
Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
(named after his mother). He has produced a documentary film, “Dream Big”, as well as several highly acclaimed videos that honor extraordinary young people of diverse backgrounds for hi
Inspiring Young Heroes
website. He won
Telly Award
in 2020 for excellence in video production in the Social Impact category. To support the experience of Rhodes Scholars at Oxford, he created the Travel Program for Environmental Stewardship, which enables young leaders from around the world to visit inspiring wilderness regions like Patagonia. In addition, he supports the Elizabeth Kiss Fund for Character, Service, and Leadership, which he named in honor of the CEO of the Rhodes Trust, to organize in-depth retreats for Rhodes Scholars. At

Barron created the Barron Family Fund for Innovations in Environmental Studies which assists faculty and students involved in the environment and humanities, as well as the Prize for Environmental Leadership given to students who demonstrate outstanding initiative in environmental issues. All this builds on Barron's work decades earlier to help found th
High Meadows Environmental Institute
He and his wife also created the Thomas A. and Currie C. Barron Family Biodiversity Research Fund which supports research to protect different species and ecosystems. In addition, he created the Henry David Thoreau Freshman Seminar in Environmental Writing. Beyond his support of the Rhodes Scholarships and Princeton, T. A. Barron has worked to advance education and environmental protection. He created scholarships for environmental law at

, as well as scholarships for students in environmental studies at

University of California Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the Un ...

. He also created scholarships for creative writing at

Vermont College of Fine Arts Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is a private graduate-level art school in Montpelier, Vermont. It offers Master's degrees in low-residency and residential programs. Its faculty includes Pulitzer Prize finalists, National Book Award winners, ...

and at

Hamline University Hamline University is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1854, Hamline is known for its emphasis on experiential learning, service, and social justice. The university is named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline ...

, and an internship for the conservation of ancient manuscripts at Oxford University's Bodleian Library. At World Wildlife Fund, he helped to establish the Nature Network, a global program to support young environmental leaders. In addition, he founded the Youth in Wilderness program at The Wilderness Society, as well as the organization's scholarships for graduate students working to advance the cause of conservation. Recently, The Wilderness Society honored him with the Robert Marshall Award, its highest award given to citizens active in conservation.

Writer

In many of his novels, Barron writes about

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

and

ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...

in mythical settings. Inspired by nature's power of renewal as well as humanity's power of free choice, he says, "I truly believe every person can make a difference — that's why I'm drawn to heroic quest stories." . His books have received the Nautilus Award Grand Prize for literature that helps to renew the spirit and envision a better world, as well as many other awards from the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

, and the

International Literacy Association The International Literacy Association (ILA), formerly the International Reading Association (IRA), is an international global advocacy and member professional organization that was created in 1956 to improve reading instruction, facilitate dialo ...

. ''The Merlin Saga'' (13 titles) and the novel ''The Ancient One'' have been international best sellers; ''The Great Tree of Avalon'' trilogy has been a

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

best seller. According to ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'', his books are "completely magical" and "will enchant readers." The ''

'' has called his work "august" and "compelling". Fellow author

Isabel Allende Isabel Angélica Allende Llona (; born in Lima, 2 August 1942) is a Chilean writer. Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the genre magical realism, is known for novels such as ''The House of the Spirits'' (''La casa de los espír ...

has said his writing is "brilliant—a real gift"; similarly, author Madeleine L'Engle called his stories "a crescendo of miracles." Fellow writer Terry Tempest Williams has hailed him as the creator of "environmental fables for our time." Robert Coles,

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

has praised his work by saying, "Here is so much grace." And writer

Lloyd Alexander Lloyd Chudley Alexander (January 30, 1924 – May 17, 2007) was an American author of more than 40 books, primarily fantasy novels for children and young adults. Over his seven-decade career, Alexander wrote 48 books, and his work has been tran ...

called his books "an intense and profoundly spiritual adventure." His podcast,
Magic and Mountains: The T. A. Barron Podcast
', illuminates the magic of Merlin, the wonders and challenges of nature, the experience of creative writing, the inspiration of young heroes, and the invitation to everyone to see your life as a story.

Adaptations

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film studios is currently developing a film adaptation of ''The Merlin Saga''. In November 2015, Philippa Boyens was hired to write the script. On January 4, 2018, it was reported that Ridley Scott was in talks about directing it. On October 15, 2021, it was announced that Michael Matthews will direct it. As of October 28, 2021, Gil Netter was set as the movie's producer.

Works

Adventures of Kate books

* ''The Heartlight Saga'' (Combined edition) (2013) * ''Heartlight'' (1990) (Illustrated by

Anne Yvonne Gilbert Anne Yvonne Gilbert (born 1950/1951) is a British artist and book illustrator. Her cover design of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 1983 single "Relax" has been described as "one of the most famous record sleeves of all time". While much of her caree ...

in 2003) * ''The Ancient One'' (1992) (Illustrated by

in 2004) * '' The Merlin Effect'' (1994)

The Atlantis Saga

* ''Atlantis Rising'' (2013) * ''Atlantis in Peril'' (2015) * ''Atlantis Lost'' (2016) * ''Never Again: The Origins of Grukkar'' (eBook) (2017)

The Merlin Saga

''The Merlin Saga'' (2011) is a 12-book series originally sold as three separate series: '' The Lost Years of Merlin'' epic, ''Merlin's Dragon'' trilogy, and ''The Great Tree of Avalon'' trilogy. It also includes the prequel, ''GIANT'' (2021). The final book in the series is ''The Book of Magic'', an encyclopedia of the characters and places in the series. ;''Prequel'' * ''GIANT'' (2021) ;'' The Lost Years of Merlin'' Epic * '' Merlin Book 1: The Lost Years''; originally issued as '' The Lost Years of Merlin'' (1996) * '' Merlin Book 2: The Seven Songs''; originally issued as '' The Seven Songs of Merlin'' (1997) * '' Merlin Book 3: The Raging Fires''; originally issued as '' The Fires of Merlin'' (1998) * '' Merlin Book 4: The Mirror of Fate''; originally issued as '' The Mirror of Merlin'' (1999) * '' Merlin Book 5: A Wizard's Wings''; originally issued as '' The Wings of Merlin'' (2000) ;''Merlin's Dragon'' Trilogy * ''Merlin Book 6: The Dragon of Avalon''; originally issued as ''Merlin's Dragon'' (2008) * ''Merlin Book 7: Doomraga's Revenge'' (2009) * ''Merlin Book 8: Ultimate Magic'' (2010) ;''The Great Tree of Avalon'' Trilogy * '' Merlin Book 9: The Great Tree of Avalon''; originally issued as '' Child of the Dark Prophecy'' (2004) * '' Merlin Book 10: Shadows on the Stars'' (2005) * '' Merlin Book 11: The Eternal Flame'' (2007) ;''The Book of Magic'' * ''Merlin Book 12: Merlin: The Book of Magic'' (2011), companion to the ''Merlin Saga''

Other fiction books

* '' Tree Girl'' (2001) * ''Ben Barron: How the Boy Became King of Shadows''

Picture books

* ''Where is Grandpa?'' (1999) * ''High as a Hawk'' (2004) * ''The Day the Stones Walked'' (2007) * ''Ghost Hands'' (2011)

Books to Inspire (Nonfiction)

* ''The Hero's Trail: True Stories of Young People to Inspire Courage, Compassion, and Hope'' (2015) * ''The Wisdom of Merlin'' (2015)

Nature books

* ''To Walk In Wilderness'' (1993) * ''Rocky Mountain National Park: A 100 Year Perspective'' (1995)

Podcast

*
Magic & Mountains: The T. A. Barron Podcast
' (2022)

References

Other sources

*
"T. A. Barron Author Documentary
*
"NRDC Artists and Visionaries Interview
*
"Jane Goodall on the Barron Prize for Young Heroes
*
"Jane Goodall on T. A. Barron's Books
*
"It's Only Natural: T.A. Barron follows his passion on a literary quest", Interview by Linda Castellitto
*
"T. A. Barron receives the de Grummond Medallion
*
"Here is a recent piece from The Hollywood Reporter
*
"Another piece from CG Life

External links

*
What Matters Most with T.A. Barron - Part 1
an
Part 2
(May 2015), '' Stanford Graduate School of Business'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Barron, T. A. 1952 births Living people 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists American children's writers American conservationists American fantasy writers American male novelists American nature writers American non-fiction outdoors writers Harvard Law School alumni Princeton University alumni American Rhodes Scholars Place of birth missing (living people) People from Harvard, Massachusetts 21st-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers Writers of modern Arthurian fiction