Byrna Robin (Burton) Barclay was born at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to Robert Lewis and Helen (Bjorling) Burton on October 8, 1940. She attended the University of Saskatchewan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1961. She also studied in the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Alberta, and participated in various writing workshops at the Saskatchewan School of the Arts (1974-1984).
Barclay's published works, consisting mainly of novels and short story collections, include: Summer of the Hungry Pup (1981); The Last Echo (1985); Winter of the White Wolf (1988); From the Belly of a Flying Whale (1989); Crosswinds (1995); Searching for the Nude in the Landscape (1996); Girl at the Window (2004); The Room with Five Walls: The Trials of Victor Hoffman (2005); The Forest Horses (2010); House of the White Elephant (2015); and Second Cousin Once Removed (2018). Additionally, her works have been published in numerous literary anthologies and magazines.
Barclay has served as editor of various literary magazines and journals, including FreeLance, Grain, Transition, and Spring. She has been a guest lecturer or reader at literary festivals and post-secondary institutions across North America. Barclay has served as president of the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild (1981-1982, 1993-1995), chair of the Saskatchewan Advisory Council on Mental Health (1990-1993), and chair of the Saskatchewan Arts Board (2009-2014). She has also served on various boards related to mental health, arts and literature. In 2015, Barclay created Burton House Books to assist emerging writers with publishing their work.
Literary awards and honours received by Barclay include: the Saskatchewan Culture and Youth First Novel Award (1977); Saskatchewan Book Award, Best Fiction category (1995); Saskatchewan Book Awards, Reader's Choice and Regina Book categories (2005); and the John V. Hicks Long Manuscript Award (2005). Other awards and honours received by Barclay include: Woman of the Year, YMCA Community and Humanitarian Service Award (1989); Canadian Mental Health Association National Distinguished Service Award (1992); Saskatchewan Writers' Guild Member Achievement Award (1992); 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992); Saskatchewan Culture Distinguished Service Award (1998); and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (2004).
Barclay died on May 7, 2023 in Regina. She is survived by her husband, Ronald Lyman Barclay, her children, Julianna and Bruce, and one grandchild.