Collections#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Love Your Enemies |
1993 |
Buy |
| Heading Inland |
1996 |
Buy |
| The Three Button Trick |
1999 |
Buy |
Contemporary Writers: Critical Essays Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| David Mitchell: Critical Essays |
2011 |
Buy |
| Maggie Gee: Critical Essays |
2015 |
Buy |
| China Miéville: Critical Essays |
2015 |
Buy |
| Adam Roberts: Critical Essays |
2016 |
Buy |
| Rupert Thomson: Critical Essays |
2016 |
Buy |
| Tom McCarthy: Critical Essays |
2016 |
Buy |
| M. John Harrison: Critical Essays |
2019 |
Buy |
| Nicola Barker: Critical Essays |
2020 |
Buy |
| Michel Faber: Critical Essays |
2020 |
Buy |
| Sarah Hall: Critical Essays |
2022 |
Buy |
Digital Trilogy Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Burley Cross Postbox Theft |
2010 |
Buy |
| The Yips |
2012 |
Buy |
| In the Approaches |
2014 |
Buy |
Park Stories Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Report To The Minister: Bushy Park |
2009 |
Buy |
| Park Stories |
2009 |
Buy |
| By Force of Will, Alone: Greenwich Park |
2009 |
Buy |
| Direct Hit: Hyde Park |
2009 |
Buy |
| A Beauty Parlour for Swans: Kensington Gardens |
2009 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Reversed Forecast |
1994 |
Buy |
| Small Holdings |
1995 |
Buy |
| Five Miles From Outer Hope |
2000 |
Buy |
| Clear: A Transparent Novel |
2004 |
Buy |
| The Cauliflower |
2016 |
Buy |
| H(A)ppy |
2017 |
Buy |
| I Am Sovereign |
2019 |
Buy |
| TonyInterruptor |
2025 |
Buy |
Thames Gateway Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Wide Open |
1998 |
Buy |
| Behindlings |
2002 |
Buy |
| Darkmans |
2007 |
Buy |
Nicola Barker is one of British fiction’s most idiosyncratic voices. Since her debut story collection Love Your Enemies in 1993, she has published novels that resist easy categorization, blending comedy, social observation, and formal experimentation in ways that have earned her both critical praise and a reputation as a writer who doesn’t make things easy for her readers. Darkmans (2007), set in Ashford, Kent, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and is often considered her most accomplished work.
Her output spans several distinct phases. The Thames Gateway trilogy (Wide Open, Behindlings, Darkmans) established her interest in the overlooked corners of southeast England. The Digital Trilogy moved into more overtly experimental territory, and H(A)ppy (2017) pushed furthest into formal innovation with a novel set in a future utopia. She has also produced short fiction collections, the Park Stories series of commissions about London parks, and contributed to a series of critical essay volumes about contemporary writers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Nicola Barker written?
Nicola Barker has written 32 books across six series.
What was Nicola Barker's first book?
Nicola Barker’s first book is Love Your Enemies, published in 1993.
What awards has Nicola Barker won?
Nicola Barker won the International Impac Dublin Literary Award for Wide Open (1998) and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Darkmans (2007). Her debut short story collection Love Your Enemies won the David Higham Prize for Fiction in 1993.