T. A. Barron

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 spent his early childhood in Harvard, Massachusetts, a town full of apple orchards and New England history (including the childhood home of Louisa May Alcott). 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 and politics at Princeton University, where he was a Trustee, before he won a Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford University. He also has business and law degrees from Harvard University. To further his education, he spent a year traveling with his backpack around Europe, Asia, and Africa. He served as president of a private equity firm in New York City before changing careers in 1990, when he returned to Colorado with his wife, Currie, and their children 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." He has also won the Nautilus Award Grand Prize, and many other literary awards.
He is actively involved with environmental and conservation organizations, including The Wilderness Society, Earthjustice, World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, the Alaska Conservation Foundation, and Colorado Open Lands.
In 2001, 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 has produced a documentary film, “Dream Big”, as well as several highly acclaimed videos that honor extraordinary young people of diverse backgrounds for his Inspiring Young Heroes website. He won a Telly Award in 2020 for excellence in video production in the Social Impact category.
To support the experience of Rhodes Scholars at Oxford, he created the Travel Program for Environmental Stewardship, which enables young leaders from around the world to visit inspiring wilderness regions like Patagonia. In addition, he supports the Elizabeth Kiss Fund for Character, Service, and Leadership, which he named in honor of the CEO of the Rhodes Trust, to organize in-depth retreats for Rhodes Scholars.
At Princeton University Barron created the Barron Family Fund for Innovations in Environmental Studies which assists faculty and students involved in the environment and humanities, as well as the Prize for Environmental Leadership given to students who demonstrate outstanding initiative in environmental issues. All this builds on Barron's work decades earlier to help found the High Meadows Environmental Institute. He and his wife also created the Thomas A. and Currie C. Barron Family Biodiversity Research Fund which supports research to protect different species and ecosystems. In addition, he created the Henry David Thoreau Freshman Seminar in Environmental Writing.
Beyond his support of the Rhodes Scholarships and Princeton, T. A. Barron has worked to advance education and environmental protection. He created scholarships for environmental law at Harvard University, as well as scholarships for students in environmental studies at University of California Santa Barbara. He also created scholarships for creative writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts and at Hamline University, and an internship for the conservation of ancient manuscripts at Oxford University's Bodleian Library. At World Wildlife Fund, he helped to establish the Nature Network, a global program to support young environmental leaders. In addition, he founded the Youth in Wilderness program at The Wilderness Society, as well as the organization's scholarships for graduate students working to advance the cause of conservation. 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 Literacy Association. The Merlin Saga (13 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 Booklist, his books are "completely magical" and "will enchant readers." The New York Times has called his work "august" and "compelling". Fellow author Isabel Allende has said his writing is "brilliant—a real gift"; similarly, author Madeleine L'Engle called his stories "a crescendo of miracles." Fellow writer Terry Tempest Williams has hailed him as the creator of "environmental fables for our time." Robert Coles, M.D. has praised his work by saying, "Here is so much grace." And writer Lloyd Alexander called his books "an intense and profoundly spiritual adventure."
His podcast, Magic and Mountains: The T. A. Barron Podcast, illuminates the magic of Merlin, the wonders and challenges of nature, the experience of creative writing, the inspiration of young heroes, and the invitation to everyone to see your life as a story.
Adaptations
Disney film studios is currently developing a film adaptation of The Merlin Saga. In November 2015, Philippa Boyens was hired to write the script. On January 4, 2018, it was reported that Ridley Scott was in talks about directing it. On October 15, 2021, it was announced that Michael Matthews will direct it. As of October 28, 2021, Gil Netter was set as the movie's producer.
Works
Adventures of Kate books
The Heartlight Saga (Combined edition) (2013)
Heartlight (1990) (Illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert in 2003)
The Ancient One (1992) (Illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert in 2004)
The Merlin Effect (1994)
The Atlantis Saga
Atlantis Rising (2013)
Atlantis in Peril (2015)
Atlantis Lost (2016)
Never Again: The Origins of Grukkar (eBook) (2017)
The Merlin Saga
The Merlin Saga (2011) is a 12-book series originally sold as three separate series: The Lost Years of Merlin epic, Merlin's Dragon trilogy, and The Great Tree of Avalon trilogy. It also includes the prequel, GIANT (2021). The final book in the series is The Book of Magic, an encyclopedia of the characters and places in the series.
Prequel
GIANT (2021)
The Lost Years of Merlin Epic
Merlin Book 1: The Lost Years; originally issued as The Lost Years of Merlin (1996)
Merlin Book 2: The Seven Songs; originally issued as The Seven Songs of Merlin (1997)
Merlin Book 3: The Raging Fires; originally issued as The Fires of Merlin (1998)
Merlin Book 4: The Mirror of Fate; originally issued as The Mirror of Merlin (1999)
Merlin Book 5: A Wizard's Wings; originally issued as The Wings of Merlin (2000)
Merlin's Dragon Trilogy
Merlin Book 6: The Dragon of Avalon; originally issued as Merlin's Dragon (2008)
Merlin Book 7: Doomraga's Revenge (2009)
Merlin Book 8: Ultimate Magic (2010)
The Great Tree of Avalon Trilogy
Merlin Book 9: The Great Tree of Avalon; originally issued as Child of the Dark Prophecy (2004)
Merlin Book 10: Shadows on the Stars (2005)
Merlin Book 11: The Eternal Flame (2007)
The Book of Magic
Merlin Book 12: Merlin: The Book of Magic (2011), companion to the Merlin Saga
Other fiction books
Tree Girl (2001)
Ben Barron: How the Boy Became King of Shadows
Picture books
Where is Grandpa? (1999)
High as a Hawk (2004)
The Day the Stones Walked (2007)
Ghost Hands (2011)
Books to Inspire (Nonfiction)
The Hero's Trail: True Stories of Young People to Inspire Courage, Compassion, and Hope (2015)
The Wisdom of Merlin (2015)
Nature books
To Walk In Wilderness (1993)
Rocky Mountain National Park: A 100 Year Perspective (1995)
Podcast
Magic & Mountains: The T. A. Barron Podcast (2022)
References
Other sources
"T. A. Barron Author Documentary
"NRDC Artists and Visionaries Interview
"Jane Goodall on the Barron Prize for Young Heroes
"Jane Goodall on T. A. Barron's Books
"It's Only Natural: T.A. Barron follows his passion on a literary quest", Interview by Linda Castellitto
"T. A. Barron receives the de Grummond Medallion
"Here is a recent piece from The Hollywood Reporter
"Another piece from CG Life
External links
What Matters Most with T.A. Barron - Part 1 and Part 2 (May 2015), Stanford Graduate School of Business
1952 births
Living people
20th-century American novelists
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American novelists
American children's writers
American conservationists
American fantasy writers
American male novelists
American nature writers
American non-fiction outdoors writers
Harvard Law School alumni
Princeton University alumni
American Rhodes Scholars
Place of birth missing (living people)
People from Harvard, Massachusetts
21st-century American male writers
20th-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
American male non-fiction writers
Writers of modern Arthurian fiction