Francis Spufford

FRSL The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the ...

(born 1964) is an English author and teacher of writing whose career has shifted gradually from

non-fiction Non-fiction (or nonfiction) is any document or content (media), media content that attempts, in good faith, to convey information only about the real life, real world, rather than being grounded in imagination. Non-fiction typically aims to pre ...

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...

. His first novel '' Golden Hill'' received critical acclaim and numerous prizes including the Costa Book Award for a first novel, the

Desmond Elliott Prize The Desmond Elliott Prize is an annual award for the best debut novel written in English and published in the UK. The winning novel can be from any genre of fiction and must exhibit depth and breadth with a compelling narrative. The winner receiv ...

and the Ondaatje Prize. In 2007 Spufford was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 800 Fellows, elect ...

Career

Spufford was chief publisher's reader from 1987–1990 for

Chatto & Windus Chatto & Windus is an imprint of Penguin Random House that was formerly an independent book publishing company founded in London in 1855 by John Camden Hotten. Following Hotten's death, the firm would reorganize under the names of his busines ...

. He was a Royal Literary Fund fellow at

Anglia Ruskin University Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is a public research university in the region of East Anglia, United Kingdom. Its origins date back to the Cambridge School of Art (CSA), founded by William John Beamont, a Fellow of Trinity College at the Unive ...

from 2005 to 2007, and since 2008 has taught at

Goldsmiths College Goldsmiths, University of London, formerly Goldsmiths College, University of London, is a Member institutions of the University of London, constituent research university of the University of London. It was originally founded in 1891 as The G ...

in London on the MA in Creative and Life Writing there. In 2018 he was made a professor. Spufford specialised in non-fiction for the first part of his career, but began a transition towards fiction in 2010. In 2016 he for the first time published a book which could indisputably be classified as a novel. Spufford has also edited three anthologies: ''The Chatto Book of Cabbages and Kings'' (1989), about lists used as a literary device, ''The Chatto Book of the Devil'' (1992), and ''The Antarctic'' (2008). Spufford has written an unauthorised novel set in the universe of

C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...

's Narnia series, ''The Stone Table''. The novel takes place between ''

The Magician's Nephew ''The Magician's Nephew'' is a portal fantasy novel by British author C. S. Lewis, published in 1955 by The Bodley Head. It is the sixth published of seven novels in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1950–1956). In recent editions, which sequence ...

'' and ''

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' is a portal fantasy novel written by British author C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1950. It is the first published and best known of seven novels in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1950–1956 ...

''. Spufford distributed self-printed copies to friends. Writer Adam Roberts praised it as "a seamless recreation of Lewis's writing-style at its best". The author hoped to obtain permission from the C. S. Lewis estate to publish it commercially, but did not receive a response from the estate. In the absence of permission, the earliest publication date would be 2034, seventy years after Lewis's death, when the copyright on the original books will expire in the UK.

Personal life

Spufford was born in 1964. He is the son of

social historian Social history, often called history from below, is a field of history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to co ...

Margaret Spufford (1935–2014) and

economic historian Economic history is the study of history using methodological tools from economics or with a special attention to economic phenomena. Research is conducted using a combination of historical methods, statistical methods and the application of ...

Professor Peter Spufford (1934–2017). He studied English literature at

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

, gaining a BA in 1985. Spufford lives in Ely just outside

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

and is a Fellow of the

. A former atheist, he is now a practising

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

and is married to an Anglican priest, the Reverend Dr Jessica Martin, who is the Dean of

Chelmsford Cathedral Chelmsford Cathedral, formally titled the Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Chelmsford, Essex, England, dedicated to Mary (mother of Jesus), St Mary the Virgi ...

. He served from 2015 to 2021 on

General Synod The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations. Anglican Communion The General Synod of the Church of England, which was established in 1970 replacing the Church Assembly, is the legislative body of the Church ...

as a lay representative of the

Diocese of Ely The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely, Cambridgeshire, Ely. There is one suffragan bishop, suffragan (subordinate) bishop, the Bisho ...

. He said in an interview that: "I'm no longer a representative of the General Synod because I was really bad at it. Being a good talker as a writer does not translate into being any kind of successful church politician."

Awards

Published work

* ''I May Be Some Time'' (1996) * ''The Child That Books Built'' (2002) * ''Backroom Boys'' (2003) * ''Red Plenty'' (2010) * ''Unapologetic'' (2012) * '' Golden Hill'' (2016) * ''True Stories and Other Essays'' (2017) * '' Light Perpetual'' (2021) * '' Cahokia Jazz'' (2023)

References

External links

Tumblr for ''Unapologetic''

Tumblr for "Golden Hill"

Ebook of critical essays on ''Red Plenty''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spufford, Francis English writers English Christians Living people 1964 births Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Academics of Goldsmiths, University of London Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature English male novelists Recipients of Desmond Elliott Prize Sidewise Award winners Converts to Anglicanism from atheism or agnosticism