Barbara Anderson (writer)
A New Zealand author who published her first book at 63 and swiftly became an international bestseller, capturing life's quiet dramas with wit and precision.
1926–2013 (age 87)·New Zealander writer·Birthday: April 14·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Barbara Anderson lived a full life—as a chemist, a teacher, a mother—before she ever published a word of fiction. That accumulated experience simmered into her writing, which exploded onto the scene when she was in her sixties. Her debut collection, 'I Think We Should Go into the Jungle,' announced a fully formed voice: sharp, funny, and intimately observant of the tensions within families and marriages. She became a literary sensation in New Zealand and abroad, her novels like 'Portrait of the Artist's Wife' and 'The House Guest' exploring the complexities of love and identity with unsentimental clarity. Anderson proved that a literary career could begin at retirement age, and her work remains celebrated for its psychological acuity and dry Antipodean humor.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Barbara was born in 1926, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Barbara Was Born
The biggest hits of 1926
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Barbara's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1926Born
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1931Started school
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1939Became a teenager
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1942Could drive
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1944Could vote
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Turned 21
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1956Turned 30
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 40
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 50
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 60
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 70
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 80
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2013Died at 87
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Her first book, 'I Think We Should Go into the Jungle,' won the 1989 New Zealand Book Award for Fiction, launching her late-in-life career.
- Awarded the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Memorial Fellowship in 1992, allowing her to write in Menton, France.
- Her novel 'Portrait of the Artist's Wife' was shortlisted for the Wattie Book Award (now the Montana New Zealand Book Awards).
Did You Know?
She held a Master of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Otago and worked as a chemist for the Wellington Hospital Board.
Anderson did not begin writing fiction seriously until she attended a creative writing course at Victoria University of Wellington in her fifties.
She was married to Sir Neil Anderson, a noted cardiologist, and was thus formally known as Lady Anderson.
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