This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2009.

Events

April 21 Events Pre-1600 *753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date). * 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered ...

–

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

launches the

World Digital Library The World Digital Library (WDL) is an international digital library operated by UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress. The WDL has stated that its mission is to promote international and intercultural understanding, expand the volume ...

. * May 1 – Carol Ann Duffy is appointed

Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom The British Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently on the advice of the prime minister. The role does not entail any specific duties, but there is an expectation that the holder will writ ...

, the first woman in the position; she is also the first Scot and the first openly gay occupant of the post. * May 5 –

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...

narrative poem Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often using the voices of both a narrator and characters; the entire story is usually written in metered verse. Narrative poems do not need rhyme. The poems that make up this genre may be s ...

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún ''The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún'' is a book containing two narrative poems and related texts composed by English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and HarperCollins on 5 May 2009. The two poems that make ...

'' in alliterative verse, based on the 13th century '' Poetic Edda'' and probably written in the 1930s, is published posthumously. *

May 16 Events Pre-1600 * 946 – Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan. *1204 – Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. * 1364 ...

– 25 – Ruth Padel becomes the first woman ever elected

Professor of Poetry The Professor of Poetry is an academic appointment at the University of Oxford. The chair was created in 1708 by an endowment from the estate of Henry Birkhead. The professorship carries an obligation to lecture, but is in effect a part-time po ...

at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

but resigns nine days later after it is alleged she was involved in what some sources call as a

smear campaign A smear campaign, also referred to as a smear tactic or simply a smear, is an effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda. It makes use of discrediting tactics. It can be applied to individual ...

against

Derek Walcott Sir Derek Alton Walcott (23 January 1930 – 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. His works include the Homeric epic poem ''Omeros'' (1990), which many critics view "as Walcot ...

, a rival for the post. * August 10 – Standard

orthography An orthography is a set of conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, word breaks, emphasis, and punctuation. Most transnational languages in the modern period have a writing system, and mos ...

for the

Silesian language Silesian * Polish: ''etnolekt śląski'', ''język śląski'', ''gwara śląska'', ''śląszczyzna'' * german: link=no, Schlonsakisch, Wasserpolnisch or Upper Silesian is a West Slavic ethnolect of either the Lechitic group or the Czech� ...

is adopted in Cieszyn, at a meeting of the

Standardization Standardization or standardisation is the process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties that include firms, users, interest groups, standards organizations and governments. Standardization ...

Committee of the Silesian Language. *

October 8 Events Pre-1600 * 314 – Constantine I defeats Roman Emperor Licinius, who loses his European territories. * 451 – The first session of the Council of Chalcedon begins. * 876 – Frankish forces led by Louis the Younger preven ...

– Romanian-born German novelist

Herta Müller Herta Müller (; born 17 August 1953) is a Romanian-born German novelist, poet, essayist and recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature. Born in Nițchidorf (german: Nitzkydorf, link=no), Timiș County in Romania, her native language is G ...

wins the 2009

Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

. * October 12 – Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm-Zentrum Library opens at

Humboldt University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...

. * November 10 – Linden MacIntyre wins the 2009

Scotiabank Giller Prize The Giller Prize (sponsored as the Scotiabank Giller Prize), is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried competition be ...

for his novel ''

The Bishop's Man ''The Bishop's Man'' is a novel by Canadian writer Linden MacIntyre, published in August 2009. The story follows a Roman Catholic priest and former fixer for the Diocese of Antigonish named Fr. Duncan MacAskill. After years of quietly resolvin ...

''. *''unknown date'' – Australian publisher

Allen & Unwin George Allen & Unwin was a British publishing company formed in 1911 when Sir Stanley Unwin purchased a controlling interest in George Allen & Co. It went on to become one of the leading publishers of the twentieth century and to establish an ...

suspends its annual Iremonger Award, stating that no manuscript of sufficient merit has been submitted.

New books

Fiction

Nelson Algren Nelson Algren (born Nelson Ahlgren Abraham; March 28, 1909 – May 9, 1981) was an American writer. His 1949 novel ''The Man with the Golden Arm'' won the National Book Award and was adapted as the 1955 film of the same name. Algren articulated ...

(died 1981) – ''Entrapment and Other Writings'' (collection) *

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, nin ...

– ''

The Year of the Flood ''The Year of the Flood'' is a novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, the second book of her dystopian trilogy, released on September 22, 2009, in Canada and the United States, and on September 7, 2009, in the United Kingdom. The novel was ...

'' (September 8) *

Nicholson Baker Nicholson Baker (born January 7, 1957) is an American novelist and essayist. His fiction generally de-emphasizes narrative in favor of careful description and characterization. His early novels such as ''The Mezzanine'' and ''Room Temperature'' we ...

– ''

The Anthologist ''The Anthologist'' is a novel about poetry by Nicholson Baker, which was first published in 2009. Its protagonist is Paul Chowder, a poet with a commission to prepare and edit an anthology of poetry, ''Only Rhyme''. The novel shows his life, his ...

'' (September) *

T. C. Boyle Thomas Coraghessan Boyle, also known as T. C. Boyle and T. Coraghessan Boyle (born December 2, 1948), is an American novelist and short story writer. Since the mid-1970s, he has published sixteen novels and more than 100 short stories. He won the ...

– '' The Women'' (February 10) *

Dan Brown Daniel Gerhard Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author best known for his Thriller (genre), thriller novels, including the Robert Langdon novels ''Angels & Demons'' (2000), ''The Da Vinci Code'' (2003), ''The Lost Symbol'' (2009), ''In ...

– ''

The Lost Symbol ''The Lost Symbol'' is a 2009 novel written by American writer Dan Brown. It is a thriller set in Washington, D.C., after the events of ''The Da Vinci Code'', and relies on Freemasonry for both its recurring theme and its major characters. Rele ...

'' (September 15) *

Arno Camenisch Arno Camenisch (born 1 February 1978 in the village of Tavanasa in the Swiss Canton Grisons) is a Swiss writer publishing in German and Romansh. Biography Camenisch grew up in Tavanasa and moved to Chur to study at a teacher training college ...

– ''Sez ner'' * Jan Cempírek – '' Bílej kůň, žlutej drak'' * Chan Koonchung – '' The Fat Years'' *

Sam Childers Sam Childers (born 1963), also known as the Machine Gun Preacher, is an American motorcyclist, author, and humanitarian. A former member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, Childers became well known after Dateline NBC's (Keith Morrison and Tim Sandle ...

– '' Another Man's War'' *

Kate Christensen Kate Christensen (born August 22, 1962) is an American novelist. She won the 2008 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for her fourth novel, '' The Great Man'', about a painter and the three women in his life. Her previous novels are ''In the Drink'' ...

– '' Trouble: A Novel'' * E. L. Doctorow – '' Homer & Langley'' (September 1) *

Dave Eggers Dave Eggers (born March 12, 1970) is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He wrote the 2000 best-selling memoir ''A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius''. Eggers is also the founder of ''Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern'', a lite ...

– ''

The Wild Things ''The Wild Things'' is a 2009 full-length novel written by Dave Eggers and published by McSweeney's. The book is based on the screenplay of ''Where the Wild Things Are'' which Eggers co-wrote. The film is, in turn, based on Maurice Sendak's ch ...

'' (October 1) *

Adam Foulds Adam Samuel James Foulds FRSL ( ; born 8 October 1974) is a British novelist and poet. Biography Foulds was educated at Bancroft's School, read English at St Catherine's College, Oxford under Craig Raine, and graduated with an MA in creative ...

– '' The Quickening Maze'' *

Rodrigo Fresán Rodrigo Fresán (born 1963 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is a fiction writer and journalist. Since 1999, Fresán has lived and worked in Barcelona, Spain. His books have been translated into many languages. ''Mantra'', a portrait of Mexico City ca. ...

– ''El fondo del cielo'' * Glen David Gold – '' Sunnyside'' (May 5) *

Philippa Gregory Philippa Gregory (born 9 January 1954) is an English historical novelist who has been publishing since 1987. The best known of her works is ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2001), which in 2002 won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Roman ...

– '' The White Queen'' (August 18) *

Lauren Groff Lauren Groff (born July 23, 1978) is an American novelist and short story writer. She has written four novels and two short story collections, including '' Fates and Furies'' (2015), ''Florida'' (2018), and '' Matrix'' (2021). Early life and ed ...

– ''

Delicate Edible Birds ''Delicate Edible Birds'' is a short story collection written by Lauren Groff. Groff was born and raised in Cooperstown, New York, home of American writers James Fenimore Cooper and W.W. Lord. Several of the stories take place in Upstate New Yo ...

'' (January 27) *

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

– ''

1Q84 is a novel written by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, first published in three volumes in Japan in 2009–10. It covers a fictionalized year of 1984 in parallel with a "real" one. The novel is a story of how a woman named Aomame begins to no ...

'' (いちきゅうはちよん, ''Ichi-Kyū-Hachi-Yon'', vol. 1–2 (May 29 – Japan) *

Yuri Herrera Yuri Herrera (born 1970) is a Mexican political scientist, editor, and contemporary writer. He currently teaches at Tulane University in New Orleans. Biography Yuri Herrera studied Political Science at the National Autonomous University of Me ...

– ''Señales que precederán al fin del mundo'' (Signs Preceding the End of the World) * Terrence E. Holt – ''

In the Valley of the Kings ''In the Valley of the Kings: Stories'' is a collection of short stories by the American author, doctor and former professor Terrence Holt. It was published on September 14, 2009, by W. W. Norton & Company. The book, Holt's only publication, ga ...

'' (September 14) * John Irving – ''

Last Night in Twisted River ''Last Night in Twisted River'' is a 2009 novel by American writer John Irving, his 12th since 1968. It was first published (in English) in the Netherlands by De Bezige Bij on September 1, 2009, in Canada by Knopf Canada on October 20, 2009, a ...

'' (October 20 – Canada; October 27 – US) *

Rabee Jaber Rabee Jaber ( ar, ربيع جابر; born 1972) is a Lebanese novelist and journalist, born in Beirut, Lebanon. Life Jaber studied Physics at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He is also editor of ''Afaaq'' (in Arabic آفاق meaning ...

– أميركا (''America'') *

Denis Johnson Denis Hale Johnson (July 1, 1949 – May 24, 2017) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. He is perhaps best known for his debut short story collection, '' Jesus' Son'' (1992). His most successful novel, ''Tree of Smoke'' (2007) ...

– ''Nobody Move'' (June 5) * Daniel Kehlmann – '' Fame'' (January 16) *

Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver (born April 8, 1955) is an American novelist, essayist and poet. She was raised in rural Kentucky and lived briefly in the Congo in her early childhood. Kingsolver earned degrees in biology at DePauw University and the Univers ...

– ''The Lacuna: A Novel'' (November 3) *

Karl Ove Knausgård Karl Ove Knausgård (; born 6 December 1968) is a Norwegian author. He became known worldwide for six autobiographical novels, titled ''My Struggle'' (''Min Kamp''). Since the completion of the ''My Struggle'' series in 2011, he has also publis ...

– ''

Min Kamp Min or MIN may refer to: Places * Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China ** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian * Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China * Min River (Fujian) * Min River (Sichuan) * Mineola (Amtrak ...

'' (Norway) *

Herman Koch Herman Koch (; born 5 September 1953) is a Dutch writer and actor. He has written short stories, novels, and columns. His best-selling novel '' The Dinner'' (2009) has been translated into 21 languages. He has acted for radio, television, and fi ...

– '' The Dinner'' (''Het diner'' – Netherlands) *

Joe R. Lansdale Joe Richard Lansdale (born October 28, 1951) is an American writer and martial arts instructor. A prose writer in a variety of genres - Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense - he's also written comic books and screenplays. Se ...

– ''

Vanilla Ride ''Vanilla Ride'' is a crime fiction novel written by American author Joe R. Lansdale. It is the eighth book in the '' Hap and Leonard'' series. Published in 2009, it is the first in the book in the series since '' Captains Outrageous'' in 2001. ...

'' (September 2009) *

Janice Y. K. Lee Janice Y. K. Lee (born 1972), is a Hong Kong-born American author, known for her best-selling debut novel '' The Piano Teacher''. Career After graduating from Harvard College with a degree in English and American Literature and Language, Lee mo ...

– '' The Piano Teacher'' *

Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Allen Lethem (; born February 19, 1964) is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His first novel, ''Gun, with Occasional Music'', a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was publishe ...

– ''

Chronic City ''Chronic City'' (2009) is a novel by American author Jonathan Lethem. Summary Lethem began work on ''Chronic City'' in early 2007, and has said that the novel is "set on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, it’s strongly influenced by Saul Bell ...

'' (October 13) * Yiyun Li (李翊雲) – ''The Vagrants'' *

Nadifa Mohamed Nadifa Mohamed ( so, Nadiifa Maxamed, ar, نظيفة محمد) (born 1981) is a Somali-British novelist. She featured on ''Granta'' magazine's list "Best of Young British Novelists" in 2013, and in 2014 on the Africa39 list of writers aged u ...

– ''

Black Mamba Boy ''Black Mamba Boy'' is a 2010 novel by the Somali-British author Nadifa Mohamed. Overview ''Black Mamba Boy'' (2010) is a semi-autobiographical account of Nadifa's father's life in Yemen in the 1930s and 40s, during the colonial period. It also ...

'' (c. December) * Lorrie Moore – ''

A Gate at the Stairs ''A Gate at the Stairs'' is a novel by American fiction writer Lorrie Moore. It was published by Random House in 2009. The novel won Amazon.com's "best of the month" designation and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize fo ...

'' (September 15) * Alice Munro – '' Too Much Happiness'' (August 25) * Vladimir Nabokov – ''

The Original of Laura ''The Original of Laura'' is an incomplete novel by Vladimir Nabokov, which he was writing at the time of his death in 1977. It was published by Nabokov's son Dmitri Nabokov in 2009, despite the author's request that the work be destroyed upon his ...

'' (unfinished last novel, November 3) *

Marie NDiaye Marie NDiaye (born 4 June 1967) is a French novelist, playwright and screenwriter. She published her first novel, ''Quant au riche avenir'', when she was 17. She won the Prix Goncourt in 2009. Her play ''Papa doit manger'' is the sole play by a ...

– ''

Three Strong Women ''Three Strong Women'' (french: Trois Femmes puissantes) (2009) is a novel by the French writer Marie NDiaye. It won the 2009 Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary award. The English translation by John Fletcher was published in April 2 ...

'' (''Trois Femmes puissantes'', August 20) *

Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. Her novels '' Bla ...

**'' Dear Husband,'' (March 31) **'' Little Bird of Heaven'' (September 15) *

Chuck Palahniuk Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk (; born February 21, 1962) is an American freelance journalist and novelist who describes his work as transgressional fiction. He has published 19 novels, three nonfiction books, two graphic novels, and two adul ...

– '' Pygmy'' (May 5) * Lyudmila Petrushevskaya – ''There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby'' (short stories translated from Russian, September 29) * Thomas Pynchon – '' Inherent Vice'' (August 4) *

Philip Roth Philip Milton Roth (March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophicall ...

– ''

The Humbling ''The Humbling'' is a novel by Philip Roth published in the fall of 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It is Roth's 30th book and concerns "an aging stage actor whose empty life is altered by a 'counterplot of unusual erotic desire'." Plot Par ...

'' (November 2) *

Richard Russo Richard Russo (July 15, 1949) is an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and teacher. Early life and education Russo was born in Johnstown, New York, and raised in nearby Gloversville. He earned a bachelor's degree, a Master o ...

– ''

That Old Cape Magic ''That Old Cape Magic'' is Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Richard Russo's seventh novel. First published in 2009, the novel is much lighter in content than his previous work, the somber 2007 work ''Bridge of Sighs'', which followed some up ...

'' (August 4) * Stig Sæterbakken – '' Don't Leave Me'' *

Raphael Selbourne Raphael Selbourne (born 1968 in Oxford, England) is a British writer. His debut novel ''Beauty (Selbourne novel), Beauty'' was awarded the 2009 Costa Book Awards, 2009 Costa First Novel Award and the McKitterick Prize in 2010. Background Born ...

– '' Beauty'' (September) *

Steve Sem-Sandberg Steve Sem-Sandberg (born 16 August 1958) is a Swedish journalist, novelist, non-fiction writer and translator. He made his literary debut in 1976 with the two science fiction novels ''Sländornas värld'' and ''Sökare i dödsskuggan''. He was aw ...

– ''De fattiga i Łódź'' *

Nicholas Sparks Nicholas Charles Sparks (born December 31, 1965) is an American novelist, screenwriter, and philanthropist. He has published twenty-three novels and two non-fiction books, some of which have been ''New York Times'' bestsellers, with over 115 m ...

– ''The Last Song'' (September 8) * Peter Stamm – ''Seven Years'' * Kathryn Stockett – ''

The Help ''The Help'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Kathryn Stockett and published by Penguin Books in 2009. The story is about African Americans working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi, during the early 1960s. A ''USA To ...

'' (February 10) *

Mari Strachan Mari Strachan (born 1945) is a Welsh novelist and librarian. Her first novel, ''The Earth Hums in B Flat'' (Canongate, 2009), works on one level as a detective story, while on another dealing with the problems of growing up in a small Welsh vill ...

– ''The Earth Hums in B Flat'' * Olga Tokarczuk – '' Prowadź swój pług przez kości umarłych ( Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead)'' *

Wells Tower Wells Tower (born April 14, 1973) is an American writer of short stories, non-fiction, feature films and television. In 2009 he published his first short story collection, ''Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned'' (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) to ...

– '' Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned'' (March 17) *

Sue Townsend Susan Lillian Townsend, FRSL (née Johnstone, 2 April 194610 April 2014), was an English writer and humorist whose work encompasses novels, plays and works of journalism. She was best known for creating the character Adrian Mole. After writing ...

– '' Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years'' (November 5) * Ferdinand von Schirach – "Verbrechen" (Burglary; short story) * John Wray – ''Lowboy'' (March 3) *

Juli Zeh Juli Zeh (, Julia Barbara Finck, née Zeh; born 30 June 1974 in Bonn) is a German writer and former judge. Biography Her first book was ''Adler und Engel'' (translated into English as ''Eagles and Angels'' by Christine Slenczka), which won the ...

– '' Corpus Delicti'' (February 20)

Genre fiction

Yukito Ayatsuji , who writes under his pen name , is a Japanese writer of mystery and horror. He is one of the founders of Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan and one of the representative writers of the new traditionalist movement in Japanese mystery writing ...

– '' Another'' (October 29) *

David Baldacci David Baldacci (born August 5, 1960) is an American novelist. An attorney by education, Baldacci writes mainly suspense novels and legal thrillers. Biography Early life and education David Baldacci was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. H ...

– ''

First Family First Family is an unofficial title for the family of a republic's head of state. A first family usually consists of: the head of state, the first spouse and their children. Related terms The term ''second family'' is often used to refer to t ...

'' (April 21) * Jim Butcher – '' Turn Coat'' (April 7) *

Eoin Colfer Eoin Colfer (; born 14 May 1965) is an Irish author of children's books. He worked as a primary school teacher before he became a full-time writer. He is best known for being the author of the Artemis Fowl (series), ''Artemis Fowl'' series. I ...

– '' And Another Thing...'' (October) *

Matthew J. Costello Matthew John Costello (born 1948) is an American writer specializing in the genres of horror, gothic, and science fiction. His articles have appeared in publications including the ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''Sports Illustrated''. He has scripted ...

– '' Doom 3: Maelstrom'' (March 31) **''Dark Calling'' (May 2009) **'' Hell's Heroes (book)'' (October 2009) *

Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavily feature tech ...

– ''

Pirate Latitudes ''Pirate Latitudes'' is an action adventure novel by Michael Crichton, the sixteenth novel to be published under his own name and first to be published after his death, concerning 17th-century piracy in the Caribbean. HarperCollins published th ...

'' (November 24) * Andrew Hussie – '' Homestuck'' (April 13) * J.C. Hutchins – ''7th Son, Book One: Descent'' (October 27) * Robert Jordan and

Brandon Sanderson Brandon Winn Sanderson (born December 19, 1975) is an American author of high fantasy and science fiction. He is best known for the Cosmere fictional universe, in which most of his fantasy novels, most notably the ''Mistborn'' series and ''The ...

– '' The Gathering Storm (

The Wheel of Time ''The Wheel of Time'' is a series of high fantasy novels by American author Robert Jordan, with Brandon Sanderson as a co-author for the final three novels. Originally planned as a six-book series, ''The Wheel of Time'' spans 14 volumes, in a ...

volume 12'', October 27) *

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

– '' Under the Dome'' (November 10) *

Richard Laymon Richard Carl Laymon (January 14, 1947 – February 14, 2001) was an American author of suspense and horror fiction, particularly within the splatterpunk subgenre. Life and career Laymon was born and raised outside of Chicago, Illinois, then li ...

– ''Dark Mountain'' (March 2009) * Attica Locke – ''Black Water Rising'' *

Michael E. Marks Michael Edward Marks (born November 5, 1960) is an American author noted for his work in counterterrorism, special operations and counter illicit traffic, most recently including co-authorship of "Understanding Narrative: The Battle of the Narra ...

– ''Dominant Species (novel)'' (October 1) *

– ''

'' (いちきゅうはちよん, ''Ichi-Kyū-Hachi-Yon'', Books 1–2, May 29) * James Patterson **'' MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel'' (March 16) **'' Daniel X: Watch the Skies'' (July 27) * Lawrence M. Schoen – ''Buffalito Destiny'' (June 1, first in the ''Tales of the Amazing Conroy'' series)

Children and young people

* Sagu Aoyama (蒼山サグ) and

Tinkle ''Tinkle'' is an Indian fortnightly magazine for children in English, published from Mumbai. Originally owned by the India Book House, the Tinkle brand was acquired by ACK (Amar Chitra Katha) Media in 2007. The magazine contains comics, sto ...

– '' Ro-Kyu-Bu!'' (February 10) * Hajime Asano (あさのハジメ) and Seiji Kikuchi (菊池政治) – '' Mayo Chiki!'' (November 21) * Brent Crawford – ''

Carter Finally Gets It ''Carter Finally Gets It'' is a 2009 young adult novel by Brent Crawford. The novel follows the misadventures of William Carter, who has ADD Addition (usually signified by the plus symbol ) is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic ...

'' *

James Dashner James Smith Dashner (born November 26, 1972) is an American writer known for speculative fiction. Many of his books are primarily aimed at children or young adults. He is best known for ''The Maze Runner'' series and the young adult fantasy ser ...

– '' The Hunt for Dark Infinity'' (March 1) * Joseph Delaney and Mark Walden – ''The Spook's Tale/Interception Point'' (March 5) * John Fardell – ''The Secret of the Black Moon Moth'' *

Brian Floca Brian Floca is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He is best known for illustrating books written by Avi and for nonfiction picture books. In 2014, he won the Caldecott Medal for his book, ''Locomotive'', as well as the Rob ...

– '' Moonshot: The Flight Of Apollo 11'' *Betsy Franco – ''

A Curious Collection of Cats ''A Curious Collection of Cats: Concrete Poems'' is a 2009 Children's poetry collection by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Michael Wertz. It is made up of concrete poems in various forms, including haiku, limerick, and free verse, that highlight ...

'' *

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

– '' Blueberry Girl'' (March 10) *

Odo Hirsch Odo Hirsch (born 1962) is the pen name of David Kausman, an Australian author of children's books. He was born in Melbourne, where he trained to be a doctor, but moved to London, where he currently lives. After working as a doctor in both Melbo ...

– ''

Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool ''Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool'' is a 2009 children's novel by Australian author Odo Hirsch. Synopsis Darius Bell and his family are living in the Bell estate, the mansion given to his ancestors, under the condition that every 25 years they ...

'' *

Nonny Hogrogian Nonny Hogrogian (born May 7, 1932) is an Armenian-American writer and illustrator, known best for children's picture books. She has won two annual Caldecott Medals for U.S. children's book illustrations. Since childhood she prefers folk and fair ...

– '' Cool Cat'' * Mandy Hubbard – '' Prada and Prejudice'' * John Hulme and Michael Wexler – '' The Lost Train of Thought'' (October) * Erin Hunter **'' Great Bear Lake'' (February 10) **'' Sunrise'' (April 24) **'' Smoke Mountain'' (May 1) **''

Code of the Clans ''Code of the Clans'' is a field guide in the ''Warriors'' novel series. ''Code of the Clans'' is about the warrior code that guides the Clans in their everyday behavior and decisions. Plot summary In the introduction, the book summarizes how t ...

'' (June 9) **''

Bluestar's Prophecy ''Bluestar's Prophecy'' is a children's fantasy novel in the ''Warriors'' series by Erin Hunter. This is the second ''Warriors'' Super Edition, the first being ''Firestar's Quest''. The book follows Bluestar from birth until her eventual rise to ...

'' (August) **''

The Fourth Apprentice ''Warriors: Omen of the Stars'' is the fourth arc in the ''Warriors (novel series), Warriors'' juvenile fantasy novel series about feral cats who live in Clans. It is made up of six novels published by HarperCollins from 2009 to 2012: ''The Fourth ...

'' (November 24) *

Reif Larsen Reif Larsen (born 1980) is an American author, known for ''The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet'', for which '' Vanity Fair'' claimed Larsen received just under a million dollars as an advance from Penguin Press following a bidding war between ten pu ...

– ''

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet ''The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet'' is the debut novel by American author Reif Larsen, first published in 2009. The book follows the exploits of a 12-year-old mapmaker named T.S. Spivet, who lives on a ranch near Divide, Montana, as he receives ...

'' *

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

– '' Cat Dreams'' * Peter Lerangis – '' The Sword Thief'' (April 1) *

D. J. Machale Donald James MacHale (born March 11, 1955) is an American writer, director, and executive producer. He has been affiliated with shows such as ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'', ''Flight 29 Down'' and ''Seasonal Differences''. MacHale is also the au ...

– ''

The Soldiers of Halla ''The Soldiers of Halla'' is the tenth and final book in the '' Pendragon Adventure'' series by D. J. MacHale. It concludes the battle between the Travelers and Saint Dane. The title was revealed by D. J. MacHale on December 9, 2008, and was ta ...

'' (May 12) * Joshua Mowll, et al. – ''

Operation Storm City Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

'' (May 12) *

Brandon Mull Brandon Mull is an American author best known for his children's fantasy series, ''Fablehaven'', as well as ''Dragonwatch'', ''The Candy Shop War'', the '' Beyonders'' trilogy, and the ''Five Kingdoms'' series.Howard, Chris (March 7, 2008)Interv ...

– '' Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary'' (March 24) * Robert Muchamore **'' Henderson's Boys: The Escape'' (February 5) **''

Eagle Day Herman Sidney "Eagle" Day (October 2, 1932 – February 22, 2008) was an American punter in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and quarterback in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampede ...

'' (June 4) * Marilyn Nelson – '' Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story Of The Greatest All-Girl Swing Band In The World'' * Patrick Ness – ''

The Ask and the Answer ''The Ask and the Answer'' is a 2009 young-adult science fiction novel written by British-American author Patrick Ness. It was published on 4 May 2009 by Walker Books. It is the second book in the ''Chaos Walking'' series, preceded by ''The K ...

'' (May 4) * Jenny Nimmo – '' Charlie Bone and the Red King'' * Charles Ogden – ''Split Ends'' (January 27) *

Margie Palatini Margie Palatini is the author of many popular books for young children. She was born in Edison, New Jersey, and today lives in nearby Plainfield, New Jersey. Margie is a graduate of the Moore College of Art and Design. According to her website, a ...

– ''Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes'' * Catherine Rayner – '' Sylvia and Bird'' *

Rob Reger Emily the Strange is an illustrated Character (arts), fictional character featured in several comic books, graphic novels and in various merchandise and clothing lines. She was created by Rob Reger for his company Cosmic Debris Etc. Inc. located i ...

– ''Emily the Strange: The Lost Days'' (June 2) * Rick Riordan – '' The Last Olympian'' (May 5) *

Amy Krouse Rosenthal Amy Krouse Rosenthal (April 29, 1965 – March 13, 2017) was an American author of both adult and children's books, a short film maker, and radio show host. She is best known for her memoir ''Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life'', her children's pic ...

– '' Duck! Rabbit!'' *

Carina Rozenfeld Carina Rozenfeld (born 13 February 1972 in Paris) is a French author who writes children's books in the science-fiction and fantasy genres. In 2004, her first novel ''Lucille et les dragons sourds'' was published. Publications * Lucille et les ...

– ''Les Clefs de Babel'' *

Carrie Ryan Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nat ...

– ''

The Forest of Hands and Teeth ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (March 9) *

Angie Sage Angie Sage (born 20 June 1952) is an English author of children's literature, including the ''Septimus Heap'' series, the ''TodHunter Moon'' trilogy, and the ''Araminta Spook'' series (''Araminta Spookie'', in the United States). Life According ...

– '' Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers'' (June 23) * Michael Scott – '' The Sorceress'' (May 26) *

Dugald Steer Dugald A. Steer B.A. (Brist), S.A.S.D. (born 1965) is an English children's writer. Biography Early life and education Dugald Steer was born in 1965 and grew up in Surrey. He completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English literature and ...

etc. –''Drake's Comprehensive Compendium of Dragonology'' * Maggie Stiefvater – ''

Shiver Shivering (also called shuddering) is a bodily function in response to cold and extreme fear in warm-blooded animals. When the core body temperature drops, the shivering reflex is triggered to maintain homeostasis. Skeletal muscles begin to s ...

'' *

Jude Watson Judy Blundell, pseudonym Jude Watson, is an American author of books for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers. She won the annual National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2008 for the young adult novel '' What I Saw and How I L ...

– '' Beyond the Grave'' (June 2) *

Victor Watson Victor Hugo Watson (26 September 1928 – 25 February 2015) was a British businessman and philanthropist. He served as the Chairman of Waddingtons 1977 to 1993. Waddingtons employed over 3,000 people, mainly in Leeds, and were involved in ...

– ''Paradise Barn'' (first in eponymous series of four books) *

Tad Williams Robert Paul "Tad" Williams (born March 14, 1957) is an American fantasy and science fiction writer. He is the author of the multivolume ''Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn'' series, ''Otherland'' series, and ''Shadowmarch'' series as well as the standal ...

and

Deborah Beale According to the Book of Judges, Deborah ( he, דְּבוֹרָה, ''Dəḇōrā'', "bee") was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Many scholars c ...

– ''The Dragons of Ordinary Farm'' (July 2) * Jacqueline Wilson – ''

Hetty Feather ''Hetty Feather'' is a book by English author Jacqueline Wilson. It is about a young red-haired girl who was left by her mother at the Foundling Hospital as a baby and follows her story as she lives in a foster home before returning to the Fou ...

'' (first in eponymous series of five books) *

N. D. Wilson Nathan David Wilson (born 1978) is an American author of young adult fiction. Background Wilson is the son of Calvinist minister Douglas Wilson and author Nancy Wilson. He was named after the biblical figures Nathan and David, and was educated ...

– '' Dandelion Fire'' * Izuru Yumizuru and Okiura – ''

Infinite Stratos ''Infinite Stratos'', also written as , is a Japanese light novel series by Izuru Yumizuru with illustrations provided by Okiura (original MF novels) and CHOCO (new Overlap novels). As of October 2013, seven volumes have been published ...

'' (May 31)

Drama

Jacob M. Appel Jacob M. Appel (born February 21, 1973) is an American author, poet, bioethicist, physician, lawyer and social critic.Nagamatsu, Sequoia "A Few Words with the Ubiquitous Jacob M. Appel" ''Prince Mincer'' Journal http://primemincer.com/ confirmed ...

– ''

Causa mortis A gift, in the law of property, is the voluntary and immediate transfer of property from one person (the donor or grantor) to another (the donee or grantee) without consideration. There are several type of gifts in property law, most notably ' ...

'' * Jez Butterworth – ''

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

'' *

Molly Davies Molly Davies is a British playwright originally from Norfolk but now living in London. A graduate of the University of Kent at Canterbury, she is currently writing and works part-time as a teacher. Davies is a product of the Royal Court Theat ...

– ''

A Miracle ''A Miracle'' by Molly Davies was her first professionally staged play and was staged first at the upstairs Jerwood Theatre at Royal Court Theatre in London in 2009 as part of the theatre's Young Writers Festival. It starred Russell Tovey, Kate ...

'' * Ella Hickson – '' Precious Little Talent'' *

Patrick Marber Patrick Albert Crispin Marber (born 19 September 1964) is an English comedian, playwright, director, actor, and screenwriter. Early life Marber was born and raised in a middle-class Jewish family in Wimbledon, London, the son of Angela (Benjam ...

– ''After Miss Julie'' * Lucy Prebble – ''

ENRON Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. ...

'' *

Sarah Ruhl Sarah Ruhl (born January 24, 1974) is an American playwright, professor, and essayist. Among her most popular plays are ''Eurydice'' (2003), '' The Clean House'' (2004), and ''In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)'' (2009). She has been the rec ...

– ''

In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) ''In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)'' is a 2009 play by Sarah Ruhl, published by Samuel French. It concerns the early history of the vibrator, when doctors allegedly used it as a clinical device to bring women to orgasm as treatment for " ...

'' * Anna Deavere Smith – ''Let Me Down Easy'' * Zlatko Topčić – '' I Don't Like Mondays (Ne volim ponedjeljak)''

Poetry

Christopher Reid Chris Reid (born 1971) is a Scottish football goalkeeper. Chris or Christopher Reid may also refer to: People *Christopher Reid (rapper) (born 1964), American actor, comedian, and former rapper *Christopher Reid (writer) (born 1949), Hong Kong-bor ...

– ''A Scattering'' *

Toyo Shibata was a bestselling Japanese poet; her first anthology ''Kujikenaide'' (″Don't lose heart″), published in 2009, sold 1.58 million copies. In comparison, poetry book sales of 10,000 are considered successful in Japan. Her anthology also topped Jap ...

(柴田トヨ) – ''Kujikenaide'' (Don't lose heart)

Non-fiction

* Olivier Ameisen – ''The End of my Addiction'' (March 5) *

Daniel Ammann Daniel Ammann (born 1963) is a Swiss journalist and author. He was educated at University of Zurich, UC Berkeley and Fondation Post Universitaire Internationale in Paris. He holds an MA in Political Science, History and Constitutional Law. Amma ...

– ''

The King of Oil ''The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich'' is a non-fiction book by Swiss investigative journalist Daniel Ammann. The book was initially released on October 13, 2009 by St. Martin's Press. It became an international bestseller and was publ ...

'' (October 13) *Joshua Blu Buhs – '' Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend'' * Michael Chabon – ''

Manhood for Amateurs ''Manhood For Amateurs'' is a 2009 collection of essays by the American writer Michael Chabon. Collection The complete title of Chabon's collection is ''Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son''. As the writ ...

'' (October 6) * Wendy Doniger – '' The Hindus: An Alternative History'' *

– '' Zeitoun'' (July 15) *

Christopher M. Fairman Christopher M. Fairman (July 26, 1960 – July 22, 2015) was a professor of law at Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty. He was also the C. William O'Neill Professor in Law and Judicial Administration. Fairman ...

– '' Fuck: Word Taboo and Protecting Our First Amendment Liberties'' *

Craig Ferguson Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish-born American comedian, actor, writer, and television host. He is best known for hosting the CBS late-night talk show ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' (2005–2014), for which he won a ...

– ''

American on Purpose ''American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot'' is a memoir written by entertainer Craig Ferguson. The book details various experiences over several decades in Ferguson's life from his days in Scotland through his migra ...

'' (September 22) *

– ''Moonshot: The Flight Of Apollo 11'' *

Jonathan Safran Foer Jonathan Safran Foer (; born February 21, 1977) is an American novelist. He is known for his novels ''Everything Is Illuminated'' (2002), '' Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close'' (2005), '' Here I Am'' (2016), and for his non-fiction works ''Eatin ...

– ''

Eating Animals ''Eating Animals'' is the third book by the American novelist Jonathan Safran Foer, published in 2009. A ''New York Times'' best-seller, ''Eating Animals'' provides a dense discussion of what it means to eat animals in an industrialized world. It ...

'' (November 2) *

Jade Goody Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody (5 June 1981 – 22 March 2009) was an English television personality. She came to public prominence in 2002 when she appeared on the third series of the Channel 4 reality show '' Big Brother''. She went on to s ...

– ''Forever in My Heart: the Story of My Battle against Cancer'' * David Grann – '' The Lost City of Z'' (February 24) *Michael Jones – '' The Retreat: Hitler's First Defeat'' *

Thomas Levenson Thomas Levenson is an American academic, science writer and documentary film-maker. , he is Professor of Science Writing and director of the graduate program in science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has written six book ...

– ''Newton and the Counterfeiter'' (June 3) * Mark Levin – '' Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto'' (March 24) *

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Mailer ...

(died 2007) – ''MoonFire'' ($112,500 coffee table edition) * Patricia A. McAnany and

Norman Yoffee Norman Yoffee (25 May 1944) is a senior fellow of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University. He was previously professor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies and the Department of Anthropology at the University of ...

- '' Questioning Collapse: Human Resilience, Ecological Vulnerability, and the Aftermath of Empire'' (November) *

Joel Mokyr Joel Mokyr (born 26 July 1946) is a Netherlands-born American-Israeli economic historian. He is a professor of economics and history at Northwestern University, where he has taught since 1974; in 1994 he was named the Robert H. Strotz Professor o ...

– ''The Enlightened Economy'' *

Ram Oren Ram Oren (born March 8, 1936) is a popular Israeli author who has sold an unprecedented 1 million books in Hebrew. Oren was born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era. At age 15, he began his journalistic career as a messenger boy for ''Yediot Ah ...

– '' Gertruda's Oath'' *

Eric W. Sanderson Eric W. Sanderson, a Landscape ecology, landscape ecologist anVice President for Urban Conservation Strategyat the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, director of the Mannahatta Project and the author of ''Mannahatta: A Natural History of New ...

– ''Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City'' (May 1) *

Bill Simmons William John Simmons III (born September 25, 1969) is an American sports analyst, author, podcaster, and former sports writer who is the founder and CEO of the sports and pop culture website '' The Ringer''. Simmons first gained attention with ...

– '' The Book of Basketball'' (October 26) * Peter Sloterdijk – '' You Must Change Your Life (Du mußt dein Leben ändern)'' *

Guy Sorman Guy Sorman (born March 10, 1944, Nérac) is a French-American professor, columnist, author, and public intellectual in economics and philosophy. Biography Guy Sorman has written twenty books that promote the ideals of creativity and modern ca ...

– ''

Economics Does Not Lie ''Economics Does Not Lie: A Defense of the Free Market in a Time of Crisis'' (; published in French in 2008) is a non-fiction book by French classical liberal economist and philosopher Guy Sorman. Sorman argues that while the recent world econ ...

'' (July 20) * Joel D. Vaughan - ''

The Rise and Fall of the Christian Coalition ''The Rise and Fall of the Christian Coalition'' is Joel D. Vaughan's insider's history of the organization. Released by Wipf & Stock in 2009, Vaughan's is the only history of the organization that received much credit for the 1994 Republican ta ...

'' (2009) *

William T. Vollmann William Tanner Vollmann (born July 28, 1959) is an American novelist, journalist, war correspondent, short story writer, and essayist. He won the 2005 National Book Award for Fiction with the novel ''Europe Central''.

– ''Imperial'' (July 29) * Helen Waldstein Wilkes – '' Letters from the Lost''

Deaths

January 1 January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the yea ...

–

Johannes Mario Simmel Johannes Mario Simmel (7 April 1924 – 1 January 2009), also known as J. M. Simmel, was an Austrian writer. He was born in Vienna and grew up in Austria and England. He was trained as a chemical engineer and worked in research from 1943 to ...

, Austrian novelist and screenwriter (born

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

) *

January 7 Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army. This prompts the tribunes who support him to flee to Ravenna, where Caesar is waiting. * 1325 – Alfonso IV ...

– Valerie Flint, English medieval historian (born

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

) *

January 20 Events Pre-1600 * 250 – Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution. * 649 – King Chindasuinth, at the urging of bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, crowns his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom. * 1156 &ndas ...

– Sheila Walsh, English novelist (born

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

) *

January 27 Events Pre-1600 * 98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent. * 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to becom ...

–

John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth ...

, American novelist (born

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

) *

February 18 Events Pre-1600 * 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy. * 1268 &ndas ...

–

Tayeb Salih Tayeb Salih ( ar, الطيب صالح, aṭ-Ṭayyib Ṣāliḥ; 12 July 1929 – 18 February 2009) was a Sudanese writer, cultural journalist for the BBC Arabic programme as well as for Arabic journals, and a staff member of UNESCO. He is best k ...

, Sudanese fiction writer and cultural commentator (born

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) *

February 20 Events Pre-1600 *1339 – The Milanese army and the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti clash in the Battle of Parabiago; Visconti is defeated. *1472 – Orkney and Shetland are pawned by Norway to Scotland ...

– Christopher Nolan, Irish poet and author (choking; born

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

) *

February 25 Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor. * 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II. ...

–

Philip José Farmer Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. Obituary. Farmer is best known for his sequences of novels, especially the ''World of Tiers ...

, American science fiction writer (born

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

) *

March 13 Events Pre-1600 *624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Muslims and Quraysh. *1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War. *1591 – At the Battle of Tond ...

–

James Purdy James Otis Purdy (July 17, 1914 March 13, 2009) was an American novelist, short-story writer, poet, and playwright who, from his debut in 1956, published over a dozen novels, and many collections of poetry, short stories, and plays. His work ha ...

, American novelist, poet and playwright (born

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

) *

March 21 Events Pre-1600 * 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the ''Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas an ...

–

Winifred Foley Winifred Mary Foley (born Winifred Mason; 25 July 1914 – 21 March 2009) was an English writer. She is known best for an autobiographical account of her childhood in the Forest of Dean: ''A Child in the Forest''. Forest life Winifred Foley ...

, English memoirist (born

) *

March 31 Events Pre-1600 * 307 – After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine the Great, Constantine marries Fausta, daughter of the retired Roman emperor Maximian. *1146 – Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon in a field at V� ...

– Michael Cox, English novelist and biographer (

hemangiopericytoma A hemangiopericytoma is a type of soft-tissue sarcoma that originates in the pericytes in the walls of capillaries. When inside the nervous system, although not strictly a meningioma tumor, it is a meningeal tumor with a special aggressive behavior ...

, born

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

)

April 14 Events Pre-1600 * 43 BC – Legions loyal to the Roman Senate, commanded by Gaius Pansa, defeat the forces of Mark Antony in the Battle of Forum Gallorum. * 69 – Vitellius, commanding Rhine-based armies, defeats Roman emperor Otho ...

– Maurice Druon, French historical novelist (born

) * April 15 – Clement Freud, German-born English writer and broadcaster (born

) *

April 19 Events Pre-1600 *AD 65 – The freedman Milichus betrays Piso's plot to kill the Emperor Nero and all the conspirators are arrested. * 531 – Battle of Callinicum: A Byzantine army under Belisarius is defeated by the Persians at ...

– J. G. Ballard, English novelist (born

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

) * May 6 –

Lev Losev Lev Loseff (russian: Лев Влади́мирович Ло́сев; birth name Lev Lifshitz; June 15, 1937 – May 6, 2009) was a Russian poet, literary critic, essayist and educator. Early life and education The son of poet Vladimir Lifshitz, L ...

, Russian American poet (born

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...

) * May 17 –

Mario Benedetti Mario Orlando Hardy Hamlet Brenno Benedetti Farrugia (; 14 September 1920 – 17 May 2009), was an Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet and an integral member of the Generación del 45. Despite publishing more than 80 books and being publish ...

, Uruguayan writer (born

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

) * June 2 – David Eddings, American novelist (born

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) * June 27 – Frank Barlow, English historian (born

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

) * July 6 –

Vasily Aksyonov Vasily Pavlovich Aksyonov ( rus, Васи́лий Па́влович Аксёнов, p=vɐˈsʲilʲɪj ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ ɐˈksʲɵnəf; August 20, 1932 – July 6, 2009) was a Soviet and Russian novelist. He became known in the West as the autho ...

, Russian novelist (born

) *

July 14 Events Pre-1600 * 982 – King Otto II and his Frankish army are defeated by the Muslim army of al-Qasim at Cape Colonna, Southern Italy. * 1223 – Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Philip II. * 1420 ...

– Phyllis Gotlieb, Canadian novelist (born

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...

) *

July 19 Events Pre-1600 *AD 64 – The Great Fire of Rome causes widespread devastation and rages on for six days, destroying half of the city. * 484 – Leontius, Roman usurper, is crowned Eastern emperor at Tarsus (modern Turkey). He is re ...

–

Frank McCourt Francis McCourt (August 19, 1930July 19, 2009) was an Irish-American teacher and writer. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his book ''Angela's Ashes'', a tragicomic memoir of the misery and squalor of his childhood. Early life and education Frank McC ...

, American memoirist and Pulitzer Prize winner (born 1930) Frank McCourt by David Shankbone

* July 23 –

E. Lynn Harris E. Lynn Harris ( Everette Lynn Jeter; June 20, 1955 – July 23, 2009) was an American author. Openly gay, he was best known for his depictions of African-American men who were on the down-low and closeted. He authored ten consecutive books th ...

, African American novelist (heart disease; born

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) *

July 25 Events Pre-1600 * 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops. * 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. ...

–

Stanley Middleton Stanley Middleton FRSL (1 August 1919 – 25 July 2009) was a British novelist. Life He was born in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, in 1919 and educated at High Pavement School, Stanley Road, Nottingham, and later at University College Nottingha ...

, English novelist (cancer; born

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

) * July 27 **

Aeronwy Thomas Aeronwy Bryn Thomas-Ellis (3 March 1943 – 27 July 2009) was a poet, writer and translator of Italian poetry. She was the second child and only daughter of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and his wife, Caitlin Macnamara. She had two brothers, Lle ...

, English-born Welsh translator and writer (born

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

)

Michaël Zeeman Michaël Zeeman (12 September 1958 – 27 July 2009) was a Dutch journalist, author, editor, columnist and literary critic. He received the C. Buddingh'-prijs, given annually for the best debut in Dutch poetry (named for C. Buddingh'), for ''Beeld ...

, Dutch critic, poet and writer (born

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

) *

July 31 Events Pre-1600 *30 BC – Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide. * 781 – The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Tr ...

–

Tim Guest Tim Guest (16 July 1975 – 31 July 2009) (also known as Yogesh and Errol Mysterio) was an English author and journalist. Early childhood When he was four, Guest was left in the UK by his psychologist mother, Anne Geraghty, who went to India an ...

, English writer (drug overdose; born

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

) *

August 2 Events Pre-1600 *338 BC – A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Battle of Chaeronea, securing Macedonian hegemony in Greece and the Aegean. *216 BC – The Carthaginian arm ...

–

Adolf Endler Adolf Endler (20 September 1930 – 2 August 2009) was a lyric poet, essayist and prose author who played a central role in subcultural activities that attacked and challenged an outdated model of socialist realism in the German Democratic Repu ...

, German writer (born

) * August 4 – Blake Snyder, American screenwriter and author (born

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...

) *

August 5 Events Pre-1600 *AD 25 – Guangwu claims the throne as Emperor of China, restoring the Han dynasty after the collapse of the short-lived Xin dynasty. * 70 – Fires resulting from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem are ...

– Budd Schulberg, American screenwriter and novelist (born

) *

August 6 Events Pre-1600 *1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria by the Republic of Genoa, thus losing its naval dominance in the Mediterranean. * 1538 – Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada ...

Jack T. Kirby Jack Temple Kirby (August 22, 1938 – August 6, 2009) was an American historian who wrote about the Southern United States and the persistent stereotyping of Southerners. He was awarded the Bancroft Prize for his 2006 book ''Mockingbird Song ...

, American historian (born

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

) **

Willibrordus S. Rendra Willibrordus Surendra Broto Rendra (7 November 1935 – 6 August 2009), widely known as Rendra or W. S. Rendra, was an Indonesian dramatist, poet, activist, performer, actor and director. Biography Early life Born in Surakarta to a Roman C ...

, Indonesian poet (born

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

) * August 7 –

Danko Popović Slobodan "Danko" Popović (Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Данко Поповић; 19 August 1928 – 7 August 2009) was a Serbian writer, playwright and screenwriter. Popović was born in Aranđelovac, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes ...

, Serbian writer (born

) * August 8 – Alfonso Calderón, Chilean writer and poet (born

) * August 9 –

Thierry Jonquet Thierry Jonquet (; January 19, 1954 – August 9, 2009) was a French writer who specialised in crime novels with political themes. He was born in Paris; his most recent and best known novel outside France was ''Mygale'' (1984), then published in th ...

, French writer (born

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

) * August 10 ** Josef Burg, Ukrainian writing in Yiddish (born

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ...

) **

Merlyn Mantle Merlyn Mantle (née Johnson; January 28, 1932 – August 10, 2009) was an American author and widow of New York Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle. Early life Mantle was born in Cardin in Ottawa County in far northeastern Oklahoma. She was the fi ...

, American author (born

) *

August 16 Events Pre-1600 * 1 BC – Wang Mang consolidates his power in China and is declared marshal of state. Emperor Ai of Han, who died the previous day, had no heirs. * 942 – Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada'in, between the Hamdan ...

– Alistair Campbell, New Zealand poet (born

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

) * August 18 **

Dic Jones Dic Jones (30 March 1934 – 18 August 2009), was a Welsh-language poet and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales. Career Jones was born Richard Lewis Jones at Tre'r-ddôl in Ceredigion. The son of a farmer, he himself farmed at Fferm ...

, Welsh poet writing in Welsh (born

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

) **

Hugo Loetscher Hugo Loetscher (22 December 1929 – 18 August 2009) was a Swiss writer and essayist. Life Loetscher was born and raised in Zürich. He studied philosophy, sociology, and literature at the University of Zürich and the Sorbonne. At Zürich i ...

, Swiss author writing in German (born

) ** Fernanda Pivano, Italian writer (born 1917 in literature, 1917) *August 20 – Karla Kuskin, American children's author (born

) *August 22 – Elmer Kelton, American Western novelist (born

)

*August 25 **Bob Carroll (author), Bob Carroll, American historian and author (born

) **Sergey Mikhalkov, Russian writer and poet (born 1913 in literature, 1913) *September 3 – Christine D'Haen, Belgian poet writing in Flemish (born 1923 in literature, 1923) Christine D' haen 1990

*September 4 – Keith Waterhouse, English author and playwright (born

) *September 6 **Catherine Gaskin, Irish-born Australian romantic novelist (born

) **Nada Iveljić, Croatian children's writer (born

) *September 10 – Lyn Hamilton, Canadian author (born 1944 in literature, 1944) *September 11 – Jim Carroll, American writer and poet (born 1949 in literature, 1949) *September 12 **William Hoffman (author), William Hoffman, American novelist (born

) **Antônio Olinto, Brazilian writer (born

) *September 13 – Sarah E. Wright, American novelist (born

) *September 15 – Trevor Rhone, Jamaican playwright (born 1940 in literature, 1940) *September 19 – Milton Meltzer, American historian and author (born 1915 in literature, 1915) *September 21 – Junzo Shono (庄野潤三), Japanese author (born 1921 in literature, 1921) *September 22 – Kole Čašule, Macedonian essayist, dramatist and short story writer (born 1921 in literature, 1921) *September 24 – Nelly Arcan, Canadian novelist writing in French (suicide; born 1973 in literature, 1973) *September 25 – Willy Breinholst, Danish author (born

) *September 27 – William Safire, American columnist (born

) *October 1 **Otar Chiladze, Georgian writer (born 1933 in literature, 1933) **Cintio Vitier, Cuban poet (born 1921 in literature, 1921) *October 4 – Veikko Huovinen, Finnish writer (born 1927 in literature, 1927) *November 1 – Esther Hautzig, Polish-born American autobiographer (born

) *November 20 – Naomi Frankel, German-born Israeli novelist (born

) *November 29 – Robert Holdstock, English fantasy novelist (born 1949 in literature, 1949) Veikko Huovinen Lentua 2009-08-04

*November 30 – Milorad Pavić, Serbian writer (born

) *December 2 –Elizabeth Berridge (novelist), Elizabeth Berridge, British novelist (born

) *December 5 – William Lederer, American author (born

) *December 7 **Carlene Hatcher Polite, American novelist (born

) **Pyotr Vail, Latvian-born Russian essayist and journalist (born 1949 in literature, 1949) *December 13 – Julian Fane (author), Julian Fane, British author (born 1927 in literature, 1927) *December 15 – C. D. B. Bryan, American author (born

) *December 19 – Loren Singer, American novelist (born 1923 in literature, 1923) *December 20 – Vera Rich, English poet and journalist (born

)

*December 23 – Grigory Baklanov, Russian novelist (born 1923 in literature, 1923) *December 25 **Vrindavanam Venugopalan, Indian journalist (born

) **(or 24th) Rachel Wetzsteon, American poet (suicide; born 1967 in literature, 1967) *December 26 **Dennis Brutus, South African poet (born

) **Norval White, American author (born 1926) *December 30 – Jacqueline Sturm, New Zealand poet and writer (born 1927 in literature, 1927)

Awards

Australia

*Miles Franklin Award: Tim Winton, ''Breath (novel), Breath''

Canada

*Canada Reads: Lawrence Hill, ''The Book of Negroes (novel), The Book of Negroes'' *Dayne Ogilvie Prize: Main award, Debra Anderson; honour of distinction, Greg Kearney. *Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction: Russell Wangersky, ''Burning Down the House: Fighting Fires and Losing Myself, Burning Down the House'' *Governor General's Awards: Multiple categories; see 2009 Governor General's Awards. *Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction: Brian Brett, ''Trauma Farm: A Rebel History of Rural Life'' *Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize: Annabel Lyon, ''The Golden Mean'' *

: Linden MacIntyre, ''

'' *Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award: David Bergen

France

*Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française: Pierre Michon, ''Les Onze''

Sweden

*Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award: Tamer Institute for Community Education

United Kingdom

*Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year: ''Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes'', Daina Taimina *Caine Prize for African Writing: E. C. Osondu, "Waiting" *Carnegie Medal (literary award), Carnegie Medal for children's literature: Siobhan Dowd, ''Bog Child'' *Man Booker Prize: Hilary Mantel, ''Wolf Hall'' *Orange Prize for Fiction: to ''Home (Robinson novel), Home'' by Marilynne Robinson

United States

*Lambda Literary Awards: Multiple categories; see 2009 Lambda Literary Awards. *National Book Award for Fiction: Colum McCann, ''Let the Great World Spin'' *National Book Critics Circle Award: Hilary Mantel, ''Wolf Hall'' *National Book Critics Circle Award for General Nonfiction: Richard Holmes (biographer), Richard Holmes, ''The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science'' *Newbery Medal for children's literature:

, ''The Graveyard Book'' *PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: Joseph O'Neill (born 1964), Joseph O'Neill, ''Netherland (novel), Netherland'' *Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: Elizabeth Strout, ''Olive Kitteridge'' *Whiting Awards: Fiction: Adam Johnson (writer), Adam Johnson, Nami Mun, Salvatore Scibona, Vu Tran; Nonfiction: Michael Meyer (travel writer), Michael Meyer, Hugh Raffles; Plays: Rajiv Joseph; Poetry: Jericho Brown, Jay Hopler, Joan Kane

Elsewhere

*Camões Prize: Arménio Vieira *European Book Prize: Mariusz Szczygieł, ''Gottland'' and Sylvie Goulard, ''L'Europe pour les Nuls'' *David Cohen Prize: Seamus Heaney *International Dublin Literary Award: Michael Thomas (Man Gone Down author), Michael Thomas, ''Man Gone Down'' *International Prize for Arabic Fiction: Youssef Ziedan, ''Azazel'' *SAARC Literary Award: Jayanta Mahapatra, Uday Prakash, Kamaal Khan

Notes

References

2009, Literature {{Year in literature article categories 2009 books, Years of the 21st century in literature

Events

New books

Fiction

Genre fiction

Children and young people

Drama

Poetry

Non-fiction

Deaths

Awards

Australia

Canada

France

Sweden

United Kingdom

United States

Elsewhere

See also

Notes

References