Richard James Beard (born 12 January 1967) is an English author of fiction and non-fiction books and short literature.

[1] When Beard was eleven years old, his younger brother Nicky drowned while the two of them were swimming together in the sea on a family holiday in Cornwall, out of sight of anyone else.

The book uses a nonlinear timeline to tell the tale of a young couple who meet in person for the first time since they were children, fall into bed together and then must decide whether or not it is the beginning of a new life.

Beard's manipulation of language and of events to make the thematic point sometimes mitigates the credibility of the characters' motivations; still, the brilliance and daring of his work earns the reader's appreciation.".

[12] His fourth novel, Dry Bones (2004), is about a church deacon in Geneva who finds a lucrative but dangerous new career in robbing the graves of celebrities.

[14] 2015's Acts of the Assassins (re-titled The Apostle Killer for the 2016 U.S. release) re-imagines Jesus's death and resurrection as a modern-day crime thriller in a genre Beard described as "gospel noir".

[16] Alex Preston, writing in The Guardian, called Acts "brilliantly original and absurdly compelling...it's a book you’ll read in one, frantic gasp.

"[17] Philip Hensher likewise praised the book in The Guardian, calling it "remarkable" and saying of the author: "Beard is a radical and inventive novelist.

[37][38] While beginning his career as a writer, Beard taught school in Hong Kong and was employed as a physical education teacher in Great Britain.

He also worked at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and spent a year as private secretary and ghostwriter to Mathilda, Duchess of Argyll.

[4] An avid sports enthusiast, Beard played professional rugby in France from 1992 to 1994 (as well as in amateur leagues in England, Switzerland and Japan).