- Lawrence Norfolk
Lawrence Norfolk (born 1963) is a British
novelist known for historical works with complex plots and intricate detail. His novels are also known for their unusually large vocabulary.He was born in
London but lived inIraq until 1967 and then in theWest Country ofEngland . He read English atKing's College London and graduated in 1986. He worked briefly as a teacher and later as a freelance writer for reference book publishers.In 1992, he won the
Somerset Maugham Award for his first novel, "Lemprière's Dictionary", about events surrounding the publication, in 1788, ofJohn Lemprière 's "Bibliotheca Classica" on classical mythology and history.His second novel, "The Pope's Rhinoceros", is based on the history of an actual animal also known as
Dürer's Rhinoceros . Themes in the work include the lost city ofVineta , the sack ofPrato , and the Benin bronze-making culture.Literary works
*"Lemprière's Dictionary" (1991)
*"The Pope's Rhinoceros" (1996)
*"In the Shape of a Boar" (2000)
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