Biographies
Alcott, Louisa May
(1832-1888) American Writer. Louisa May Alcott was born on November 29, 1832 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Read more about the life and works of Louisa May Alcott.
Austen, Jane
(1775-1817) British writer. Jane Austen is now famous for her way with words, in describing the society and people of her time. At Austen is known for "Pride and Prejudice," "Mansfield Par," "Northanger Abbey," and other works.
Austin, Alfred
(1835-1913) English writer. Alfred Austin became Poet Laureate after Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Bacon, Francis
(1561-1626) British writer. Francis Bacon was a lawyer, statesman, historian, essayist, and reformer, though his primary claim to fame was as a philosopher. In the authorship controversy, some scholars believe that Francis Bacon was the author of works that were attributed to William Shakespeare.
Baldwin, James
(1924-1987) American writer. James Baldwin was a novelist, playwright, poet and civil-rights activist. He associated with the Harlem Renaissance writers. He's famous for Go Tell It on the Mountain and Notes of a Native Son.
Behn, Aphra
Aphra Behn is one of the most famous women writers in literature, partly because she was one of the first English women writers, but also because of the controversies that have surrounded her. Read more about the life and works of Aphra Behn.
Behn, Aphra
(1640-1689) British writer. Aphra Behn is one of the most famous women writers in literature, partly because she was one of the first, but also because of the controversies that have surrounded her life and works. Read more about the life and works of Aphra Behn.
Bellow, Saul
Saul Bellow is a famous Jewish-American writer (recognized as being "representative"). He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and he was one of the most important post-war novelists for works like Seize the Day and Herzog . He also won the Pulitzer Prize for Humboldt's Gifts . He was a teacher, a soldier, and a writer--capturing...
Bierce, Ambrose
(1842-1914) American writer. Ambrose Bierce is known for his short story, Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge, and for his collection of humorous terms: The Devil's Dictionary. Read more about the life and works of Ambrose Bierce.
Blake, William
(1757-1827) British writer. William Blake was an artist, mystic, and poet, who is often considered the first of the great English Romantic poets. Read more about the life and works of William Blake.
Bradstreet, Anne
(c1612-1672) American writer. Anne Bradstreet was one of the greatest poets of the 17th century. Read more about the life and works of Anne Bradstreet.
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
(1806-1861) British writer. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a Victorian poet, famous for works like "Sonnets from the Portuguese." She was the wife of Robert Browning, who is famous for "My Last Duchess." Read more about the life and works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Camus, Albert
(1913-1960) French writer. Albert Camus was born on November 7, 1913 in Mondovi, Algeria. His father was an agricultural worker, and his mother was an illiterate charwoman. Camus is recognized as a master of existentialism. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1957.
Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich
(1860-1904) Russian Writer. Anton Chekhov is famous for plays like "Three Sisters" (1901), and "The Cherry Orchard." Although Chekhov wrote hundreds of short stories, he's most well-known for his plays. Read more about the life and works of Anton Chekhov.
Chopin, Kate
(1851-1904) American writer. Kate Chopin became famous for "The Awakening," though she was largely forgotten after her book was banned. Read more about the life and works of Kate Chopin.
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a poet, critic and philosopher, perhaps most famous for "Lyrical Ballads" (1798), a collection of poems, co-authored with William Wordsworth.
Cooper, James Fenimore
(1789-1851) American writer. James Fenimore Cooper is a famous Romantic novel in American literature. He's known for works of historical fiction, including The Last of the Mohicans, The Spy, and the Leatherstocking series. He's recognized as a notable, representative writer in 19th-century American fiction.
Crane, Stephen
(1871-1900) American writer. Stephen Crane is perhaps most famous for The Red Badge of Courage (1895), which brought him international acclaim. With this and other novels, Crane made his name as an important contributor of literary naturalism. Read more about the life and works of Stephen Crane.
Célan, Paul (Paul Antschel)
(1920-1970) Romanian writer. Paul Célan was born Paul Antschel on November 23, 1920 in Romania, but he lived in France, and he wrote in German. He survived the Holocaust, but his parents were killed. Read more about the life and works of Paul Célan.
Dickinson, Emily
(1830-1886) American writer. Emily Dickinson was not well-known during her lifetime, as she lived in seclusion in Amherst, Massachusetts. Dickinson wrote more than 1,800 poems. Read more about the life and works of Emily Dickison.
Eliot, George (Mary Ann Evans)
(1819-1880) British writer. George Eliot was born Mary Ann Evans in Chilvers Coton, Warwickshire. Eliot's first collection, "Scenes Of Clerical Life," appeared in 1858; but she's more well-known for "Middlemarch." Read more about the life and times of George Eliot.
Faulkner, William
(1897-1962) American writer. William Faulkner is one of the most famous 20th-century American writers for novels and short stories about the American South. Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949, and he's known for works like Sound and the Fury. Read more about William Faulkner.
Ferber, Edna
(1885-1968) American writer. Edna Ferber has been called "the greatest novelist of her day." She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924 for "So Big," and she's also known for "Showboat" (1926), "Cimarron" (1929), "Giant" (1952), and "Ice Palace" (1958). Read more about the life and works of Edna Ferber.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins
(1860-1935) American writer. Charlotte Perkins Gilman is famous for her short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper," which is often read in literature survey courses, but she wrote a great many other works. Read more about the life and works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Hauptmann, Gerhart
(1862-1946) German writer. Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann was born on November 15, 1862. Hauptmann's works include: "Before Sunrise" (1889), "Drayman Henschel," "Lonely Lives," "The Weavers," "Hannele" (1893), "The Sunken Bell" (1897), and "Atlantis." Read more about the life and works of Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann.
Hemingway, Ernest
(1899-1961) American writer. Ernest Hemingway was one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. He was famous for his novels, short stories and essays.
Irving, Washington
(1783-1859) American writer. Washington Irving's pseudonyms included: Dietrich Knickerbocker, Jonathan Oldstyle, and Geoffrey Crayon. Washington Irving was a short story writer, famous for works like "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Read about the life and works of Washington Irving.
Joyce, James
James Joyce is one of the most famous (and most controversial) stylists of his time. He's known for works like Dubliners , A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man , and Finnegans Wake . Exiled from Ireland, he continued to return to his homeland in his stories and novels--with characters who experience epiphanies, universal truths, and...
Lamb, Charles
(1775-1834) British writer. Charles Lamb was an essayist, known for Essays of Elia and Tales from Shakespeare.
Lee, Harper
Harper Lee is one of the most famous writers of her time--most well-known for To Kill a Mockingbird, a controversial novel about race relations in America (although the book covers much more territory than just that). Lee received the Pulitzer Prize for the novel, but she has not published another book since.
Marvell, Andrew
(1621-1678) British writer. Andrew Marvell was one of the metaphysical poets, known for works like "To His Coy Mistress," "The Garden," "Bermudas," and "The Definition of Love." He was one of the greatest writers of the 17th century. Read more about the life and works of Andrew Marvell.
McCullers, Carson
(1917-1967) American writer. Carson McCullers is famous for novels like The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, which was a featured selection for the Oprah Book Club. McCullers wrote in the Southern Gothic tradition. Her novels are often dark, with lonely and isolated characters. McCullers once said, "Writing, for me, is a search for God." Read more about Carson McCullers.
Millay, Edna St. Vincent
(1892-1950) American writer. Edna St. Vincent Millay received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1923 for "The Ballad of the Harp Weaver." Other works include: "Renascence" (1917) and "Second April" (1921). Read more about the life and works of Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Mitchell, Margaret
(1900-1949) American writer. Margaret Mitchell was born on November 8, 1900 in Atlanta, Georgia. When she was 15, she wrote, "If I were a boy, I would try for West Point, if I could make it, or well I'd be a prize fighter - anything for the thrills." Instead, she became famous for writing "Gone With The Wind" (1936).
Montgomery, Lucy Maud
(1874-1942) Canadian writer. Lucy Maud Montgomery was an educator, journalist, and novelist, who was famous for her "Anne of Green Gables" series, about an orphan taken in by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.
Moore, Clement Clarke
(1779-1863) American writer. Clement Clarke Moore is perhaps most famous for "A Visit from St. Nicholas," which is also called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Read more about the life and works of Clement Clarke Moore.
O. Henry (William Sydney Porter)
O. Henry (pseudonym for William Sydney Porter) was born in on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina; and he became famous for his short stories. Read more about the life and works of O. Henry.
Orwell, George
George Orwell was a famous novelist and journalist, known for Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) and Animal Farm (1945).
Owen, Wilfred
(1893–1918) British writer. Wilfred Owen is an important 20th-century British writer, famous for poems like "Anthem for Doomed Youth" and other dramatic poems. Read more about the life and works of Wilfred Owen.
Pope, Alexander
(1688-1744) British writer. Alexander Pope was born in London on May 22, 1688 into a Roman Catholic family. He was the only child of Alexander Pope, Sr., a linen-draper, and Edith Turner Pope. Read more about Pope's life and works.
Rossetti, Christina
(1830-1894) British writer. Christina Rossetti was part of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and famous for "Goblin Market," "A Birthday," "When I Am Dead," and "Up-Hill." Read more about the life and works of Christina Rossetti.
Sappho (Psappha)
(c 610-570 BC) Greek writer. Sappho is one of the most famous Greek writers, known for the fragments that are left of her books of poetry. Read more about the life and works of Sappho.
Sassoon, Siegfried
(1886-1967) British writer. Siegfried Sassoon was a British officer in World War I. Nicknamed "Mad Jack," Sassoon is known for his anti-war poetry where he expressed some of his horror at the waste and futility of war. Even though he disagreed with the war--with the deaths of so many young soldiers--he received the Military Cross for heroism. Sassoon was also acclaimed for his later prose work. Read more about Sassoon.
Shakespeare, William
(1564-1616) British writer. William Shakespeare is recognized as one of the greatest writers of all time, known for works like "Hamlet," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Romeo and Juliet," "Othello," "The Tempest," and many other works. Read more about the life and works of William Shakespeare.
Shelley, Mary
(1797-1851) British writer. Famous for "Frankenstein," Mary Shelley was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, and the wife of the Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Read more about the life and works of Mary Shelley.
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
(1792-1822) British writer. Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the famous poets of the Romantic period of English poetry. He drew from mythological figures to explore his poetic vision. Read more about the life and works of Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) is the first of the rather prominent group of Scotch writers of fiction.
Stoker, Bram
(1847-1912) Irish writer. Bram Stoker wrote novels and short stories, but he's usually best remembered for his famous vampire book, Dracula, which which first appeared in 1897. Read more about the life and works of Bram Stoker, the vampire maker!
Turgenev, Ivan
Ivan Turgenev was a recognized 19th-century novelist, playwright and poet, though he was not as famous as his contemporaries, Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Despite the fact that his works are not as popular or as well-read as those of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, he made a valuable contribution to 19th century Russian literature.
Twain, Mark (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)
(1835-1910) American writer. Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) is one of the most famous writers in American literature. The work that first brought Twain literary acclaim was "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" (also known as "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County") in 1865.
Wharton, Edith
(1862-1937) American writer. Edith Wharton is an important figure in American literature, with works like "Ethan Frome," "Age of Innocence," "House of Mirth," and other works. She was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Read more about the life and works of Edith Wharton.
Whitman, Walt
(1819-1892) American writer. Walt Whitman is known for his famous, and controversial, collection of poems, "Leaves of Grass." Read more about the life and works of Walt Whitman.
Wilder, Thornton
(1897-1975) American writer. Thornton Wilder was a Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright and novelist, who is perhaps most famous for his play, "Our Town," which was made into a movie. His most famous works explored the human experience.
Woolf, Virginia
(1882-1941) British writer. Virginia Woolf was born on January 25, 1882, in London. Woolf became one of the most prominent literary figures of the early 20th century, with novels like "Mrs. Dalloway" (1925), "Jacob's Room" (1922), "To the Lighthouse" (1927), and "The Waves" (1931). Read more about the life and works of Virginia Woolf.
Zola, Emile
(1840-1902) French writer. Emile Zola was the founder of the Naturalism movement in literature. Zola is known for for works like "L'Assommoir" (1877), "Nana" (1880), and "Germinal" (1885). He was forced to flee France following the public uproar that surrounded a libel case that was brought against him. In the libel case, Zola was convicted and sentenced to one year in prison.
John Steinbeck Biography
John Steinbeck is known for The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, The Pearl, The Moon is Down, and many other works.
William Bradford Biography
(1590-1657) American writer. William Bradford was born in 1590 in Yorkshire, but he would become one of the most famous writers and leaders in American history, famous for the Mayflower Compact and History of Plimoth Plantation, (sic) which wasn't published in full until 1856. Read more about the life and works of William Bradford.