Julian Barnes Announces ‘Departure(s)’ as His Final Novel
Booker prize-winning author Julian Barnes has announced that his new novel, Departure(s), will be his last. He feels he has “played all my tunes” adn reached a point where he’s said everything he intends to say through fiction.
A Distinguished Career
Barnes, who turns 80 on Monday, boasts a prolific 45-year career encompassing 15 novels and 10 works of nonfiction. His decision isn’t based on waning publisher interest – he acknowledges that publishers will likely continue to accept his work – but on a personal sense of completion.
“One way of thinking about how long you go on is, ‘Provided that they’ll still publish you’,” Barnes explained. “But that can be misleading. I shouldn’t write a book just because it would be published. You ought to go on until you’ve said everything you’ve got to say, and I’ve reached that point.”
Continuing to Write, Just Differently
While Departure(s) marks the end of his novel-writing career, Barnes intends to continue writing in other forms. He has a long history as a journalist, a profession he plans to continue pursuing. This ensures he won’t entirely abandon writing, simply shift his focus.
Key takeaways
- Julian Barnes’s new novel, Departure(s), will be his last.
- His decision stems from a feeling of having tired his narrative ambitions in fiction.
- He will continue to write as a journalist.
- Barnes has published 15 novels and 10 nonfiction works over 45 years.
Publication Date: 2026/01/25 15:45:23
