New Zealand Writers

BARROWMAN, Rachel

One of New Zealand’s leading independent historians.

BARROWMAN, Rachel (1963- ) is an independent historian.

Barrowman is the author of a number of books including A popular vision: the arts and the left in New Zealand, 1930-1950 (VUP, 1991), The Turnbull: a library and its world (AUP, 1995) and Victoria University of Wellington, 1899-1999: a history (VUP, 1999). She is also the author of Mason: the life of R.A.K. Mason (VUP, 2003), which won the biography category of the 2004 Montana New Zealand Book Awards.

In a review of Mason: the life of R.A.K. Mason for the Listener Kevin Ireland writes, ‘Barrowman’s triumph has been not just to explore the mysteries of a life that she describes as following “a pattern of missed opportunities … perhaps wilfully missed”, but to provide us, incidentally, with a stunning account of four decades of New Zealand literary, social and political history.’ In New Zealand Books Kim Worthington praises the Mason biography as, ‘on one hand it’s an outstanding social history providing a wealth of cultural and political detail. And on another it’s a superbly crafted biography, the success of which can be measured by the fact that we close the book feeling that we know and understand – deeply, painfully – this life, this man.’

Rachel Barrowman has worked as an editor for the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, and has been awarded the National Library Fellowship and the Stout Research Centre Fellowship.

Rachel Barrowman lives in Wellington.

(LK)