Hi! I’m Barrie Lawrence, author, speaker, retired dental surgeon and bookseller. I love life, and I love to write. I am told that my enthusiastic approach to life – my joie de vivre – comes through in my writing. And so often in the everyday happenings of life, there is humour, if we can but see it. Perhaps not taking myself too seriously at times helps in that respect. We need to laugh at ourselves at times.
I love people, and during my career as a dental surgeon, I certainly met a huge variety of people. I am not sure they all loved me. Well, it’s not natural to love someone who sticks needles in you, and pulls parts of your body away. Or who drills inside your mouth. But people are like a rich, beautiful, multi-coloured tapestry passing through our lives, and I try to enjoy the beauty, and ignore any other stuff.
How did I come to write books? Well, I blame the Women’s Institute! I was asked to speak at a W.I. meeting. ‘Dentistry’ was the subject, and I bored them to tears. Until I mentioned the teeth that were lost down the toilet, and suddenly the place came alive. I received more invitations to speak, and simply related humorous stories from my days training as a dentist, and my time in the surgery. “You should write a book,.” I was told. And so I did, though my first one was nothing to do with dentistry.
Since then I have written seven books (and now an eighth). Three of my books are on the Christian faith – what it is, and some rather amazing experiences. Three of my books are light anecdotal, but full of humour, as well as some facts about teeth and dentists. And one book, Big Blue Sky is about my love of Norfolk, the county where I was born, and where I have spent most of my life.
I was born in Ditchingham, Norfolk and have spent most of my life in the county. I am married to Wendy, and have 6 daughters and 20 grandchildren living in 5 different countries. As a result we travel widely, but walking the footpaths and bridleways of Norfolk has been a passion all my life.
