David Higham Prize for Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 18 (1992) Winner
Elspeth Barker
エルスペス・バーカー
Erusupesu Bākā
Aliases:
Elspeth Langlands
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1940-11-16 （Edinburgh）
- Died
- 2022-04-21 （Aylsham） age 81
- Nationality
- Scottish, British
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Unknown
- Residence History
- Edinburgh, Scotland → Drumtochty Castle, Aberdeenshire → Aylsham, England
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, journalist, creative writing teacher
- Active Years
- 1980-2022
- Nominations
- Whitbread Prize shortlist
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerville College, Oxford | — | Literae Humaniores (Classics) | — | 1958-1962 | United Kingdom |
Somerville College, Oxford
Literae Humaniores (Classics)
Period:
1958-1962
Year of Graduation:
1962
Country:
United Kingdom
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize | O Caledonia | — | Royal Society of Literature | 受賞 |
Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize
1991
Work:
O Caledonia
Organization:
Royal Society of Literature
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
O Caledonia
1991 Gothic novelSet in 1950s Scotland, the novel traces the coming-of-age of a misfit teenager Janet, starting from her murder and flashing back through her life.
Scottish imageryironic dark humourGothic elementsindividuality vs conformity
Adaptations
- [Radio drama] O Caledonia (2023)
Bibliography
- O Caledonia (1991)
- Loss (1997, edited)
- Dog Days (2012)
- Notes from the Henhouse (2024)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- detailed imagerysharp satirelyrical prose
- Recurring Motifs
- Scottish windsdark humourisolated individuality
Health
-
Health issues following a stroke晩年Led to her death
Legacy
Her novel O Caledonia became a cult classic, praised as a modern Scottish classic with gothic elements and dark humour.
In Popular Culture
- Adapted into an 8-part BBC Radio 4 drama in 2023
Trivia
- Her only novel won four awards and became a cult classic.