Antonia Barber Explained

Antonia Barber (real name Barbara Anthony; 10 December 1932 – 4 April 2019) was an English writer of books for children and adults.^[1] Barber resided in Kent and Mousehole, Cornwall. Her book The Mousehole Cat was adapted as an animated film and is being adapted as a stage musical. She graduated from University College London. The younger sister of fellow writer Pamela Oldfield, Barber was married to a structural engineer.^[2]

Selected works

• The Affair of the Rockerbye Baby (1966)
• The Ghosts (1969) – filmed 1972 as The Amazing Mr Blunden and reissued 2021 as such
• The Ring in the Rough Stuff (1983)
• The Enchanter's Daughter (1987)
• Satchelmouse and the Doll's House (1987)
• The Mousehole Cat (1990)
• Tales from Grimm (1992)
• Catkin (1994)
• Apollo & Daphne: Masterpieces of Mythology (1998) – with paintings from the great art museums of the world
• Dancing Shoes series (1998 to 2000)
• Hidden Tales from Eastern Europe (2002)
• Heracles the Hero (2003)
• The Frog Bride (2007)

Awards and recognition

• The Ghosts (1969)
  • Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal
• The Ring in the Rough Stuff (1983)
  • Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal
• The Mousehole Cat (1990)
  • Nestle Smarties Book Prize children's choice

Three illustrators have earned recognition by the British Library Association for their collaborations with Barber.^[3]

• Errol Le Cain, The Enchanter's Daughter, a commended runner-up for the 1987 Kate Greenaway Medal
• Nicola Bayley, The Mousehole Cat, a commended runner-up for the 1990 Greenaway
• P. J. Lynch, Catkin, on the shortlist for the 1994 Greenaway

External links

• Antonia Barber, author at publisher Walker Books (archived 2006)
• "Antonia Barber (1932–2019)" at agent David Higham Associates

Notes and References

1. Web site: Antonia Barber. 20 March 2010 . WorldCat.org.
2. Web site: Pamela Oldfield . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170824195124/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/books-obituaries/8932305/Pamela-Oldfield.html . 2017-08-24 . live .
3. http://web.ccsu.edu/library/nadeau/award%20books/KateGreenaway.htm "Kate Greenaway Medal"