Aeschylus (c. 525-456 BC)
Greek writer. Read the complete English translation of Aeschylus' celebrated Greek tragedy "Agamemnon," that planted the seeds of modern literature. Aeschylus Links

Aesop (620?-560?)
Greek writer. Supposedly a freed slave from Thrace, his name became attached to a collection of beast fables long transmitted through oral tradition. Aesop Links

Akhmatova, Anna (1889-1966)
Russian writer. Pseudonym of Anna Andreyevna Gorenko. She is widely considered to have been the greatest woman poet in Russian literature. Akhmatova Links

Alcman (7th century BC)
Greek writer. Alcman was one of the famous lyric poets of Greece and the first known to write choral lyrics in strophic form. Alcman links

Aldrich, Thomas Baily (1837-1907)
American writer. Aldrich's most famous work was Story of a Bad Boy (1870), which was based on his boyhood experiences in Portsmouth. Aldrich links

Alfieri, Vittorio (1749-1803)
Italian writer. Italian dramatist and poet, who was one of the leading literary and patriotic figures of modern Italian history. Alfieri Links

Alighieri, Dante (1265-1321)
Italian writer. Italian poet, and one of the supreme figures of world literature, who was admired for the depth of his spiritual vision and for the range of his intellectual accomplishment. Alighieri Links

Andersen, Hans Christian (1805-1875)
Danish writer. Andersen combined folk legends with his own great imagination and produced fairy tales appreciated in many cultures. He was trained as singer and actor before achieving success as a playwright and novelist. Andersen Links

Aristophanes (c. 448-385 BC)
Greek writer. Considered one of the greatest writers of comedy in literary history. Aristophanes Links

Arnold, Matthew (1822-1888)
British writer. Poet and critic who wrote the famous poem "Dover Beach." Arnold Links

Artaud, Antonin (1896-1948)
French writer. Artaud was a French poet, dramatist, and actor, whose theories and work influenced the development of experimental theater. Artaud Links

Austen, Jane (1775-1817)
British writer. Wrote about the British rural middle class and introduced new literary topics, such as marriage and classes. Austen Links