William Edmund Barrett (November 16, 1900 – September 14, 1986) was an American author.
Born in New York City, he studied at Manhattan College. He married Christine M. Rollman on February 15, 1925. He worked as an aeronautics consultant with the Denver Public Library from 1941 on. He received a citation from Regis College in 1956. He was a member of PEN and the Authors League of America. Barrett was a Roman Catholic.
He was a member of the National Press Club of Washington, D.C. and the Colorado Authors League, serving as its president from 1943-1944.
Three of his novels were made into films: The Left Hand of God, starring Humphrey Bogart; Lilies of the Field, featuring Sidney Poitier; and Pieces of Dreams, based on The Wine and the Music.