Geoffrey John Barrett
Geoffrey John Barrett was an English author born on September 23, 1928, in Norfolk, East Anglia. He spent his early years on the Isle of Wight before returning to Norfolk, where he eventually settled in Attleborough. Barrett's writing career began later in life; although he won a national essay contest at age twelve, he did not start publishing seriously until he was over thirty. His first novel was sold in 1962, and he became prolific, averaging six books a year until his retirement in 1998. He primarily wrote in the Western genre and produced works under various pseudonyms, including G. J. Barrett for his mystery series and Jack Greer for his Westerns. Despite his extensive output, Barrett struggled financially and often took on other jobs to support himself. He passed away on October 4, 1999, and his literary legacy continues through donations of his works to local libraries in Norfolk.
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Geoffrey John Barrett
Writer
- Born: September 23, 1928
- Birthplace: Norfolk, East Anglia, England
- Died: October 4, 1999
- Place of death: Attleborough, England
Biography
Geoffrey John Barrett was born on September 23, 1928, in Norfolk, East Anglia, England. He spent most of his childhood on the Isle of Wight, but his family moved back to the Norfolk area when he was fourteen, settling in the village of Kenninghal. When he was in his twenties, he moved to Attleborough near Norwich, where he lived for the rest of his life. Although he won a national essay contest when he was twelve years old, he did not start to write seriously until he was more than thirty years old.
He sold his first novel to Robert Hale, Ltd., in 1962 and from then on wrote an average of six books a year until his retirement in 1998. Some of them were translated into Spanish and/or Italian. He wrote under G. J. Barrett, an abbreviation of his real name, for his Inspector Blessingay series of mysteries and for some of his science fiction. He utilized three other pseudonyms for the rest of his science fiction and twelve more for his Westerns. He never made much money from his writing, so he occasionally worked as a driver in the plastics and brewing industries and at other menial jobs to earn a living.
Although most of Barrett’s writing was in the Western genre, he never actually visited the United States. An example is his Western Seven Hells and a Sixgun, which was published by Hale under the pseudonym of Jack Greer and printed in the United Kingdom. The plot could almost have come directly out of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The protagonist is an orphan who is really the heir to the largest cattle ranch in the then territory of New Mexico. To claim his inheritance, he has to learn the true identities of his biological mother and father and overcome the actions of his evil half-brother. Except for a glaring error as to the date of the American war with Mexico, the book is thoroughly researched and true to the period. It is written at the young adult reading level and contains considerable violence, but no sex.
Barrett died on October 4, 1999, at his home in Attleborough. His sisters, Elsie Edwards and Heather Hewitt, donated five hundred of his books to the local library in Attleborough and several hundred more to other libraries in the Norfolk area and to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.