T. A. Barron

Thomas Archibald Barron (born March 26, 1952) is an American writer of fantasy literature, books for children and young adults, and nature books.

Biography

Barron was born in Boston.[1] He spent early childhood in a town full of New England history and apple orchards, Harvard, Massachusetts. His family moved to Colorado and he spent much of his youth on a ranch in the Rocky Mountains. 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 at Princeton University, where he is a Trustee,[2] attended Balliol College, Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship, and has business and law degrees from Harvard University. He served as president of a private equity firm in New York City before changing careers in 1990, when he returned to Colorado 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."[3]

He is an active supporter of conservation causes, serving as a board member for The Wilderness Society, the Alaska Conservation Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy of Colorado. He founded a national prize to celebrate outstanding young people who help other people or the environment—the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes (named after his mother). He also helped to create the Princeton Environmental Institute at Princeton University in 1990. 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 and ecology 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 and the International Reading Association. The Lost Years of Merlin epic (five titles) and the novel The Ancient One have been international best sellers; The Great Tree of Avalon trilogy has been a New York Times best seller. According to an article published by Tony Magazine, "He is an amazing author who's Merlin series is meant for pre-teens, but can and is read by older teenagers."

Adaptations

Disney film studios is currently developing a film adaptation of The Merlin Saga. Patrick Masset and John Zinman have been hired on to write the script. In November 2015, Philippa Boyens was hired to rewrite the script.[4]

Works

The Heroic Adventures of Kate

The Atlantis Saga

The Merlin Saga

The Lost Years of Merlin[1]
Merlin's Dragon
The Great Tree of Avalon

Merlin: The Book of Magic (2011), companion to the Avalon/Merlin saga

Other fiction books

Picture books

Books to Inspire (Nonfiction)

Nature books

See also

References

  1. 1 2 T. A. Barron at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB). Retrieved 2013-06-29. Select a title to see its linked publication history and general information. Select a particular edition (title) for more data at that level, such as a front cover image or linked contents.
  2. ↑ "Board of Trustees, 2012–13". Vice President & Secretary. Princeton University. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
  3. ↑ "The 43rd Annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival" (2011 program). School of Library and Information Science. The University of Southern Mississippi. Retrieved 2013-06-29. Pages 1–3 cover the Southern Miss Medallion and its 2011 recipient T. A. Barron.
  4. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (November 17, 2015). "Disney Sets ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Co-Writer Philippa Boyens To Write Young Merlin Movie". deadline.com. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Hero's Trail". T. A. Barron. Retrieved 2013-06-29.

External links

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