Bio
Chris Barkley’s debut novel, The Man on the Endless Stair was released in summer 2025 and was described in The Times as ‘An eerie, deeply atmospheric tale of hidden treasure and trauma.’ He was appointed Writer in Residence by the Edinburgh Book Festival in 2022 and has won the Oxford University Kellogg Writing Competition as well as the Bedford International Writing Prize. He achieved a distinction on the MSt in Creative Writing at the University of Oxford and, before that, graduated from the Warwick University Writing Programme with a First. He has taught creative writing at Yale and on social media, he hosts the popular channel @TufferBarkley where he posts writing lessons to a community of 65k. Edinburgh is where he stays.
Accolades
Shortlisted: The List Award for Best Rising Scottish Author
Polygon bags Chris Barkley's 'thrilling' debut novel
Edinburgh Book Festival Residency 2022
Winner: Kellogg Writing Competition 2021
Winner: Bedford International Competition 2021
Pushcart Prize Nomination 2022
