Bio – Who is Barrie Lawrence?

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. Much of my writing is about people; people who lost their false teeth down the toilet, and the couple who shared a set of false teeth – and others who caused me to smile.

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.

I had gone to University looking for fun. And my definition of fun was parties, girls, beer, etc. I was quite upfront about being an atheist, and yet was seriously challenged when someone told me that ‘Jesus had changed their life’. He was training to be a doctor, but I felt he ought to see one. And quick. However, It caused me to seriously investigate ‘God’, and that led to a life-changing experience. 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. People tell me they laugh out loud whilst reading them. Great!

And one book is about my love of Norfolk, the county where I was born, and where I have spent most of my life. It was the immediate post-war period, and I relate some of my childhood adventures and romances. The accent lends itself to amusing misunderstandings, and Normal for Norfolk says a lot about us Norfolk county people. And there are punchy historical facts about Boudicca, Nelson, Bernard Matthews, the broads, kippers – and a thousand other interesting things. I think you will love reading Big Blue Sky – a Celebration of Norfolk!

I have not written a block-buster. Yet! Or maybe it has just not been recognised. Yet! A Dentist’s Story sells more than the rest put together, and more are sold in North America than in the UK where I live. And I write a blog fairly regularly, which is part of this site.

My email is barrie@barrielawrence.com I try to reply to all emails promptly. Comments, suggestions, ideas, etc. are always welcome. Or just email me to say ‘Hello’. Maybe I’ll hear from you soon.

13 Comments

  1. Rachel Hodgson December 7, 2012 at 2:18 pm - Reply

    Hi Dad! Great getting all this info whilst you’re still alive – normally you have to wait til the funeral to get such an account! Like the photos of the new dining room, very tasteful. Curry looks tasty too.
    Nice website. I like how it raises our expectations of God. I think I might start noting down some of my experiences so that I can give concrete examples too. I lost my engagement ring yesterday. I really thought it could be in various places as I had taken gloves off outside school, near the boulangerie, etc. and that by now it could be in the wrong hands. Elisha, Jonathan and I prayed about it, and found it about 7 minutes later on my bedroom floor. Doesn’t really seem like a big find now, falling off the bedside cabinet is pretty routine, but I was so relieved that I hadn’t lost it.

    • Barrie December 7, 2012 at 3:40 pm - Reply

      Thanks Rachel. Your testimony re the lost ring in your comments will itself be an encouragement to those who read it. Thank you for encouraging me over the years. I feel so blessed to have four daughters who love God and who each testify to the ways in which the Lord has led them and prayers have been answered. Give our love to the rest of your family. Dad x

    • Chris April 25, 2016 at 10:27 pm - Reply

      I suddenly noticed I had lost the small central sapphire stone from my engagement ring
      So I walked slowly across the primary school playground hoping to spot it – but no success
      Arrived home so upset as it was special with sentimental value !!
      But the doorbell rang as I made a consoling cup of coffee and prayed it would turn up again
      The post lady gave me a book too large for the letter box!
      I glanced down in our dark brown door frame and spotted the tiny sapphire below the letter box!
      Definitely a miracle answer to my prayer
      I really don’t know how it got there -but my own personal proof that nothing is impossible for God to sort out !
      Just trust in his unfailing love.
      Two years later I somehow lost my gold wedding ring at our fun weekly mums and tots prayer and bible study group in our house !
      I prayed again and within 20 minutes spotted it under the kitchen table as I swept up our craft paper scraps. Not sure again how it got there!
      Seiko HQ also lost my old but much loved wrist watch a 21st birthday present from my parents I sent for repairs and offered me a replacement new one that I did not want .
      So I wrote to their Seiko Director explaining how ‘extra special’ this was and then they found it gave me a free repair and new strap!
      So God definitely does answer our prayers in all sorts of amazing and unusual ways!

  2. Jane July 10, 2013 at 6:26 pm - Reply

    I loved your book(thank you ). Could you send your e-mail address, I would like to tell you my
    experience ?
    God Blesss

  3. www.funnyordie.com August 8, 2013 at 10:27 pm - Reply

    Hmm it seems like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I had written and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
    I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any tips for novice blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.

    • Barrie August 9, 2013 at 8:25 am - Reply

      Hi,

      Don’t know your name, but is it Chris? Just guessing from your email address. What can I tell you about blogging? I know so little really, but do have a passion for the God of the Bible who has changed my life so much, and I simply write out what I feel periodically, go to Google to look for clipart, or use my own photographs, and publish one weekly. Originally I had a professional set up the site because I am not so computer literate. And then I just type, copy and paste, and hit publish. Anything else I can say to help? Please ask.

      Very best wishes to you,

      Barrie

  4. Raphael Lungu March 31, 2014 at 11:19 am - Reply

    Barrie,
    Oh you are a delight.
    Norfolk`s Norwich, the Fine City with fine folk.
    Fine memories, when I sort asylum.
    Kind regards always to FGBM fellowship.
    Raphael Lungu.

  5. J. murdoch April 11, 2016 at 6:36 pm - Reply

    Hi Barrie,
    I have been looking for gifts for my daughter & her two friends, (who all graduate as dentist from Leeds university this July 2016).
    I was thinking, for her graduation day what can I give her & her two friends for a little present ????
    I love to read myself, & in the past I was trying to find inspirational books about becoming a dentist.
    I put into the search engine- Chicken soup for the soul for Dentist. Well as you may know, they do hundreds of books to cover most peoples professions. BUT NOT DENTIST :(
    So I decided to change around a few words in the search engine. Thank God I did. I came across Barries books :)
    Yaaaaay.
    So I know what I will be buying my daughter & her two friends as a little gifts– when they graduate (which I will give to them after the ceremony).
    I have just read through a few chapters which you can freely read without buying the book (just so you can see if the book will suit you).
    My search has ended. I will be ordering Barries books as Gifts!
    THANK YOU SO MUCH Barrie. my daughter & her friends will love having an insight into your long career as a dentist. The up’s & downs you went through when you were first starting out.
    IT WILL INSPIRE THEM TO KNOW, THAT WILL BE THEM ONE DAY…………. FOLLOWING ALONG THE SAME PATH AS YOU :)
    THANK YOU!

  6. Dave December 11, 2016 at 9:27 pm - Reply

    Any chance your books will appear in kindle format ?
    As for miracles. While I’m sure these can happen ( I’ve seen street miracles on utube) people seem to have a tendency to claim things that could’ve happened by chance as Miricles. Miscible git I know I am :)

    • Barrie December 12, 2016 at 1:56 pm - Reply

      Thank you for your enquiry and comments. I would like to publish some of my books in Kindle format, and will look into this in 2017.

      I agree with your comments, where miracles might just be chance happenings. As our God is sovereign, nothing really happens ‘by chance’, but I know what you mean. In my ‘constipated cat’ book on prayer, I mention several times that people might call these answered prayers coincidences. I have also suggested that where people keep saying ‘coincidence, coincidence, coincidence, coincidence…’ it sounds rather silly after a while. But there is a tendency to exaggerate when speaking of these things, which is not helpful.

      Do feel free to comment again. And I pray you will know true blessing and answered prayer in your walk with God. Barrie

  7. Alison Bowles September 29, 2017 at 6:44 pm - Reply

    Hi Barrie
    THE WELLS NELSON CLUB
    We are looking forward to your visit next Thursday 5th October to entertain our Club. We start our meeting at 2pm with a welcome, news of absent members and a few notices. The average age is about 84 and many have mobility difficulties, but we’re very friendly (I hope!) and there’s a great atmosphere. We usually have about 18 – 20 at our meeting.
    We meet in the hall at the back of the Methodist Church on Theatre Road. There’s no parking on the road, but there is a carpark 50 yards away, or you can park outside my house – 3, Blackhorse Yard – a little further along.
    best wishes
    Alison

  8. Ashkan Nematpour July 27, 2020 at 1:30 pm - Reply

    Hello dear Mr. Lawrence
    I read your book, A Dentist”s Story, and it was wonderful. I’m an Iranian journalist and really like to translate your book to persian (farsi) so my fellow countrymen can read about your amazing journey. it’s your kindness to give me permission to do it.
    best regards
    Ashkan Nematpour

    • Barrie October 9, 2020 at 8:43 am - Reply

      I’d love to see it published and available in Iran. Bless you, my friend.

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Barrie Lawrence

Hi! I’m Barrie Lawrence, author, speaker, ex-dental surgeon and bookseller, Christian.

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