Audrey Lilian Barker FRSL (13 April 1918 – 21 February 2002) was an English novelist and short-story writer.
[2] When Barker turned 16, her father sent her to work at a clockmaking firm, as he did not approve of her seeking further education.
[2] During her lifetime, Barker published ten collections of short stories and eleven novels, one of which – John Brown's Body – was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1970.
[3] She was also the winner of the inaugural Somerset Maugham Prize in 1947, with her collection of short stories called Innocents.
[2] Barker's work often included themes such as love, good vs. evil, youth vs. experience, and explored children as both the catalyst and victims of events.