Judith Barrow originally lived in Saddleworth, a group of villages on the edge of the Pennines, but has lived in Pembrokeshire, Wales, for over forty years. She writes contemporary fiction, Family Life Stories, Family Sagas and Historical Fiction. Her first four books, The Haworth Series are set against the background of the first German POW camp in Britain, a disused Lancashire cotton mill, between 1914 – 1969. Her book, The Memory was shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year 2021, The Rhys Davies Trust Fiction Award. She says, “Like most writers I’m a people watcher. Not in a creepy way… well, I don’t think so! But in that way of, “hmm, they could make a wonderful character!” and, “I wonder why they did that? Said that? What’s going on?” kind of way. People are fascinating. As human beings we do and say the most extraordinary things – however mundane we think we are, however boring we believe our lives to be. But it’s the layers of the experiences we’ve all built up from childhood to adulthood that makes each of us interesting. And the way we react to others is fascinating. Not least in the relationships within families. Because where else, in what circumstances, is there such a capacity for secrecy, for deception, for lies, for love, for empathy, for forgiveness? For misunderstandings and misreading of siblings, of parents. It’s intriguing. And no two families are alike – so the scope for creativity is endless. And I love exploring all these aspects.”
She has an MA in Creative Writing with the University of Wales Trinity St David’s College, Carmarthen. BA (Hons) in Literature with the Open University, a Diploma in Drama from Swansea University.
She is a Creative Writing tutor and holds private workshops on all genres.
When I’m not writing or teaching, I’m doing research for my writing, walking the Pembrokeshire coastline, gardening, or reading and reviewing books.
