Somerset Maugham Award
1 appearances
Francis Spufford
フランシス・スパフォード
Furanshisu Supaffōdo
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1964-01-01
- Nationality
- British
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Christianity
- Residence History
- Ely, Cambridgeshire (near Cambridge)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, non-fiction writer, university lecturer, essayist
- Active Years
- 1989-
- Affiliations
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Department of English & Comparative Literature, Goldsmiths (staff), Royal Literary Fund fellow at Anglia Ruskin University
- Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Hall, Cambridge | Faculty of Arts | English Literature | BA | 1982–1985 | United Kingdom |
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Faculty of Arts
/ English Literature
Degree:
BA
Period:
1982–1985
Year of Graduation:
1985
Country:
United Kingdom
BA in English Literature
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Somerset Maugham Award | I May Be Some Time | — | The Society of Authors | Won |
| 2016 | Costa Book Award for First Novel | Golden Hill | First Novel | Costa Book Awards | Won |
| 2017 | Desmond Elliott Prize | Golden Hill | — | Desmond Elliott Prize | Won |
| 2017 | RSL Ondaatje Prize | Golden Hill | — | Royal Society of Literature | Won |
| 2021 | Booker Prize (longlisted) | Light Perpetual | — | The Booker Prizes | Longlisted |
| 2022 | Encore Award | — | — | Encore Award | Won |
| 2024 | Sidewise Award for Alternate History (Long Form) | Cahokia Jazz | Long Form | Sidewise Award | Won |
| 2018 | RUSA CODES Reading Award (Historical Fiction) | Golden Hill | Historical Fiction | RUSA | Shortlisted |
Somerset Maugham Award
1997
Work:
I May Be Some Time
Organization:
The Society of Authors
Result:
Won
Costa Book Award for First Novel
2016
Work:
Golden Hill
Category:
First Novel
Organization:
Costa Book Awards
Result:
Won
Desmond Elliott Prize
2017
Work:
Golden Hill
Organization:
Desmond Elliott Prize
Result:
Won
RSL Ondaatje Prize
2017
Work:
Golden Hill
Organization:
Royal Society of Literature
Result:
Won
Booker Prize (longlisted)
2021
Work:
Light Perpetual
Organization:
The Booker Prizes
Result:
Longlisted
Encore Award
2022
Organization:
Encore Award
Result:
Won
Sidewise Award for Alternate History (Long Form)
2024
Work:
Cahokia Jazz
Category:
Long Form
Organization:
Sidewise Award
Result:
Won
RUSA CODES Reading Award (Historical Fiction)
2018
Work:
Golden Hill
Category:
Historical Fiction
Organization:
RUSA
Result:
Shortlisted
Awards & Nominations
Costa Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 46 (2016) Winner
Encore Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 30 (2022) Winner
Sidewise Award for Alternate History
1 appearances
-
Edition 29 (2023) Winner
Works
Major Works
I May Be Some Time
1996 Non-fiction (memoir/travel)A non-fiction account themed around Antarctic exploration, blending personal experience with historical context.
explorationmemoryhistory
The Child That Books Built
2002 Essays / Non-fictionA collection of essays reflecting on reading experiences and their influence.
readingeducationpersonal development
Backroom Boys
2003 Non-fiction (history of science)A book focusing on the history and people of technical fields such as software development.
history of technologybiographical studies
Red Plenty
2010 Non-fiction (history/economics)Explores Soviet planned economy and techno-optimism, combining historical research with novelistic techniques.
planned economytechno-optimismhistorical inquiry
Unapologetic: Why Despite Everything, Christianity can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense
2012 Non-fiction (religious essay)A personal and emotional defense of Christianity, exploring reasons for belief.
faithreligious experience
Golden Hill
2016 Historical fiction (novel)A historical novel set in 18th-century New York, praised for its satirical and humorous narrative voice.
historyurban lifeclass and status
Light Perpetual
2021 Novel (fiction)Follows the lives of multiple characters against the backdrop of World War II, dealing with loss and the passage of time.
losstimeeffects of history
Cahokia Jazz
2023 Fiction (alternate history / novel)An alternate-history novel that imagines a different America by exploring historical divergences.
alternate historyculturemusic and society
Bibliography
- I May Be Some Time (1996)
- The Child That Books Built (2002)
- Backroom Boys (2003)
- Red Plenty (2010)
- Unapologetic (2012)
- Golden Hill (2016)
- True Stories and Other Essays (2017)
- Light Perpetual (2021)
- Cahokia Jazz (2023)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- detail-oriented, research-based prosehybrid approach blending non-fiction and fictionnarrative voice that uses humour and satire
- Recurring Motifs
- reexamination of historymemory and losstechnology and society
Legacy
An author who expanded from non-fiction into fiction, achieving particular acclaim for Golden Hill. Noted for combining scholarly research with compelling narrative craft.
Academic Societies
- Royal Society of Literature
Quotes
-
"I'm no longer a representative of the General Synod because I was really bad at it. Being a good talker as a writer does not translate into being any kind of successful church politician."
Source: Interview with The Guardian (2022) (2022)
Trivia
- Wrote an unauthorised Narnia-set novel, The Stone Table, and distributed self-printed copies to friends; commercial permission has not been obtained.
- Son of historians Margaret and Peter Spufford.
- Married to Reverend Dr Jessica Martin, an Anglican priest who became Dean of Chelmsford in 2025.
- Previously worked as chief publisher's reader at Chatto & Windus.
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.