This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2012.

Events

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 ...

– Copyright restrictions on

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

's major works are lifted on the first day of the year, 70 years having passed last year since his death. * January 20 – British novelist

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie (; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British-American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and We ...

cancels an appearance at the

Jaipur Literature Festival The Jaipur Literature Festival, or JLF, is an annual literary festival which takes place in the Indian city of Jaipur each year in the month of January. It was founded in 2006. It is the world's largest free literary festival. The Diggi Palace ...

in India, and four other writers leave the city after reading excerpts from ''

The Satanic Verses ''The Satanic Verses'' is the fourth novel of British-Indian writer Salman Rushdie. First published in September 1988, the book was inspired by the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. As with his previous books, Rushdie used magical realism ...

'', which is banned in the country. *February –

's children's story ''

The Cats of Copenhagen ''The Cats of Copenhagen'' is a posthumously-published short story written by Irish author James Joyce and illustrated by American artist Casey Sorrow. Written in 1936 for his grandson Stephen James Joyce, it was not published until 2012, when ...

'' is published for the first time by Ithys Press in Dublin. *March – The discovery is announced of a collection of fairy tales gathered by the historian Franz Xaver von Schönwerth and locked in a Regensburg archive for more than 150 years. *April – While attending the

London Book Fair The London Book Fair (LBF) is a large book-publishing trade fair held annually, usually in April, in London, England. LBF is a global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and di ...

, the exiled Chinese writer Ma Jian uses red paint to smear a cross over his face and a copy of his banned book ''

Beijing Coma ''Beijing Coma'' is a 2008 novel by Ma Jian. It was translated from Chinese by Flora Drew. The Chinese government has since banned the book. Ma has stated that he wrote the book "to reclaim history from a totalitarian government whose role is ...

'' and calls Chinese publishers a "mouthpiece of the Chinese communist party", after being "manhandled" while attempting to present the book to

Liu Binjie Liu Binjie (; born September 1948) is a Chinese politician. He currently serves as the Chair of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the National People's Congress. He was most well-known for serving as the director of t ...

at the fair. *July – Jaime García Márquez tells his students that his brother

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...

, the Colombian writer and recipient of the 1982

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

, suffers from

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

, which has ended his writing career. *

September 27 Events Pre-1600 *1066 – William the Conqueror and his army set sail from the mouth of the Somme river, beginning the Norman conquest of England. * 1331 – The Battle of Płowce is fought, between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teuton ...

– The 50th anniversary of the publication of

Silent Spring ''Silent Spring'' is an environmental science book by Rachel Carson. Published on September 27, 1962, the book documented the environmental harm caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading d ...

Rachel Carson Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose influential book '' Silent Spring'' (1962) and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental ...

is noted. * September 28 –

Sue Limb Sue Limb (born 1946, Hitchin, Hertfordshire) is a British writer and broadcaster. Biography Limb was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. She studied Elizabethan lyric poetry at Newnham College, Cambridge and then trained in education. While he ...

's parody of the Bloomsbury Group, ''

Gloomsbury ''Gloomsbury'' is a BBC Radio 4 comedy sitcom which gently parodies the lives, loves and works of the Bloomsbury Group. It is written by Sue Limb and five series have been produced, in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Cast The character names ar ...

'', begins to be broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

in the U.K. *

October 24 Events Pre-1600 * AD 69 – In the Second Battle of Bedriacum, troops loyal to Vespasian defeat those of Emperor Vitellius. *1260 – Chartres Cathedral is dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France. * 1360 – The T ...

– Boekenberg ("Book mountain"), a public library in Spijkenisse, Netherlands, designed by MVRDV, is opened. *December – The discovery is announced of "

The Tallow Candle "The Tallow Candle" ( da, Tællelyset) is a 700-word literary fairytale by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). It was written in the 1820s, making it one of his earliest works and his first known work in the fairytale genre ...

", a previously unknown story by Hans Christian Andersen found at the bottom of a box in Denmark in October. *''unknown date'' **Precious

Timbuktu Manuscripts Timbuktu Manuscripts (or Tombouctou Manuscripts) is a blanket term for the large number of historically significant manuscripts that have been preserved for centuries in private households in Timbuktu, a city in northern Mali. The collections in ...

are evacuated under threat from Islamist rebels by Dr. Abdel Kader Haidara and Stephanie Diakité. **An underground library in Darayya is formed in the besieged Syrian city by students.

New books

Fiction (literary)

Saud Alsanousi Saud Alsanousi ( ar, سعود السنعوسي, born 27 May 1981) is a Kuwaiti novelist and journalist. His debut novel ''The Prisoner of Mirrors'' (2010) won the Leila Othman Prize. In 2011, his short story ''The Bonsai and the Old Man'' won a c ...

– ''The Bamboo Stalk'' * Carol Anshaw – ''Carry the One'' (March 6) * Jacob M. Appel – ''

The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up ''The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up'' won the 2013 International Rubery Book Award and is a 2012 satiricalHannah Barnaby – ''

Wonder Show ''Wonder Show'' is the 2012 young adult debut novel of American writer Hannah Barnaby. The book was first published on 20 March 2012 in hardback and e-book formats, and was subsequently released in paperback on 8 October 2013. The work was a finali ...

'' (March 20) * Filippo Bologna – ''I pappagalli'' (The Parrots, satire, March) * Peter Carey – '' The Chemistry of Tears'' (May 15) * Dan Chaon – '' Stay Awake'' (short stories, February 7) * Emily Danforth – '' The Miseducation of Cameron Post'' (Bildungsroman, February 2) *

Stephen Dau Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

– '' The Book of Jonas'' (March 15) *

Debra Dean Debra Lynn Dean (born 1957) is an American writer, best known for her 2006 novel, ''The Madonnas of Leningrad''. Life Dean was born and brought up in Seattle and studied English and Drama at Whitman College, graduating in 1980. She then trained ...

– '' The Mirrored World'' *

Steve Erickson Stephen Michael Erickson is an American novelist. The author of influential works such as ''Days Between Stations'', '' Tours of the Black Clock'' and '' Zeroville'', he is the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship, the American Academy of Arts a ...

– ''These Dreams of You'' *

Elena Ferrante Elena Ferrante () is a pseudonymous Italian novelist. Ferrante's books, originally published in Italian, have been translated into many languages. Her four-book series of ''Neapolitan Novels'' are her most widely known works. ''Time'' magazine ...

– ''L'amica geniale'' (My Brilliant Friend, first of the

Neapolitan Novels The Neapolitan Novels, also known as the Neapolitan Quartet, are a four-part series of fiction by the pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante, published originally by Edizioni e/o, translated into English by Ann Goldstein, and published by Eu ...

) *

Richard Ford Richard Ford (born February 16, 1944) is an American novelist and short story writer. His best-known works are the novel ''The Sportswriter'' and its sequels, ''Independence Day'', ''The Lay of the Land'' and ''Let Me Be Frank With You'', and the ...

– ''

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

'' (May 22) *

Ben Fountain Ben Fountain (born 1958) is an American writer currently living in Dallas, Texas. He has won many awards including a PEN/Hemingway award for ''Brief Encounters with Che Guevara: Stories'' (2007) and the National Book Critics Circle Award for fict ...

– '' Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'' (May 1) *Alex George – ' _Good_American''_(February_7) *Emily_Giffin_–_''Where_We_Belong_(novel).html" ;"title="Emily_Giffin.html" ;"title=" Good American'' (February 7) *Emily Giffin"> Good American'' (February 7) *Emily Giffin – ''Where We Belong (novel)">Where We Belong'' (July 24) *Lauren Groff – ''Arcadia'' (March 3) *Mark Haddon – ''The Red House'' (June 12) *John Irving – ''In One Person'' (May 8) *Howard Jacobson – ''Zoo Time'' *Rosemary Johns – ''Black Box 149'' * Adam Johnson (writer), Adam Johnson – '' The Orphan Master's Son'' (January 10) *

Christian Kracht Christian Kracht (; born 29 December 1966) is a Swiss author. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages. Personal life Kracht was born in Saanen in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. He attended Schule Schloss Salem in Baden-Wür ...

– ''

Imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...

'' (February 16) *

Torsten Krol Torsten Krol is an Australian writer resident in Queensland. He is the author of the ''FOREVERMAN'' series of novels (2018-2021). He is best known for his novels ''The Dolphin People'' (2006), a postmodern "parable" of a World War II-era German fa ...

– '' The Secret Book of Sacred Things'' * Adam Levin – ''Hot Pink'' (short stories, March 13) *

Mario Vargas Llosa Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquess of Vargas Llosa (born 28 March 1936), more commonly known as Mario Vargas Llosa (, ), is a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist and former politician, who also holds Spanish citizenship. Vargas Ll ...

– '' The Dream of the Celt'' (English translation, June 5) *

Ben Marcus Ben Marcus (born October 11, 1967) is an American author and professor at Columbia University. He has written four books of fiction. His stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in publications including ''Harper's'', ''The New Yorker'', ''The ...

– '' The Flame Alphabet'' (January 17) *

Simon Mawer Simon Mawer ( ; born 1948, England) is a British author who lives in Italy. Life and work Born in 1948 and was educated at Millfield School in Somerset and at Brasenose College, Oxford, Mawer took a degree in Zoology and has worked as a biology ...

– ''Trapeze'' (May 1) *

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' So ...

– '' Home''(May 8) *

Alice Munro Alice Ann Munro (; ; born 10 July 1931) is a Canadian short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Munro's work has been described as revolutionizing the architecture of short stories, especially in its tendency to move f ...

– '' Dear Life'' (short story collection) * Chibundu Onuzo – ''The Spider King's Daughter'' *

Ron Rash Ron Rash (born September 25, 1953), is an American poet, short story writer and novelist, is the Parris Distinguished Professor in Appalachian Cultural Studies at Western Carolina University. Early life Rash was born on September 25, 1953, in C ...

– '' The Cove'' (April 10) *

J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The ser ...

– ''

The Casual Vacancy ''The Casual Vacancy'' is a 2012 novel written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published worldwide by the Little, Brown Book Group on 27 September 2012. A paperback edition was released on 23 July 2013. It was Rowling's first publication since ...

'' (September 27) * Benjamin Alire Sáenz – '' Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club'' (October 30) * Neeta Shah – '' Bollywood Striptease'' (March 27) * Helen Simpson – ''A Bunch of Fives'' (short stories, March 5) *

Anne Tyler Anne Tyler (born October 25, 1941) is an American novelist, short story writer, and literary critic. She has published twenty-four novels, including '' Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant'' (1982), ''The Accidental Tourist'' (1985), and ''Breathi ...

– '' The Beginner's Goodbye'' (April 3) * David Vann – ''Dirt'' (April 24) *

Richard Wagamese Richard Wagamese (October 14, 1955 – March 10, 2017) was an Ojibwe Canadian author and journalist from the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations in Northwestern Ontario."Indian Horse is a dark ride". '' Calgary Herald'', February 28, 2012. He was be ...

– ''

Indian Horse ''Indian Horse'' () is a novel by Canadian writer Richard Wagamese, published by Douglas & McIntyre in 2012."Indian Horse is a dark ride". '' Calgary Herald'', February 28, 2012. The novel centres on Saul Indian Horse, a First Nations boy from Ont ...

'' *

Edmund White Edmund Valentine White III (born 1940) is an American novelist, memoirist, playwright, biographer and an essayist on literary and social topics. Since 1999 he has been a professor at Princeton University. France made him (and later ) de l'Ordr ...

– ''Jack Holmes and His Friend'' (January 24)

Children and young people

*Claire Alexander – ''

Back to Front and Upside Down! ''Back to Front and Upside Down!'' is a picture book for children by British novelist Claire Alexander. The book deals with the difficulty some children might face when learning how to write. Alexander was awarded the Young Readers' Schneider Fam ...

'' * David Almond – '' The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas'' * CJ Daugherty – ''Night School'' *

Emily Gravett Emily Gravett (born 1972) is an English author and illustrator of children's picture books. For her debut book ''Wolves'' published in 2005 and '' Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears'' published three years later, she won the annual Kate Greenaway M ...

– ''

Matilda's Cat ''Matilda's Cat'' is a 2012 children's picture book by Emily Gravett. It is about Matilda, a girl dressed in a ginger-striped cat costume, who attempts to involve her similarly ginger-striped cat in various activities to no avail but then eventua ...

'' *

John Green John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author, YouTube content creator, podcaster, and philanthropist. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including '' The Fault in Our Stars'' (2012), which is ...

– ''

The Fault in Our Stars ''The Fault in Our Stars'' is a novel by John Green. It is his fourth solo novel, and sixth novel overall. It was published on January 10, 2012. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play ''Julius Caesar'', in which the noble ...

'' * Jacqueline Harvey – '' Clementine Rose'' book series *

Jon Klassen Jon Klassen (born November 29, 1981) is a Canadian writer and illustrator of children's books and an animator. He won both the American Caldecott Medal and the British Kate Greenaway Medal for children's book illustration, recognizing the 2012 ...

– '' This is Not My Hat'' *

Josh Lacey Josh Lacey, who sometimes uses the pseudonym Josh Doder, (born 1968 in London) is a British writer. He has written several children’s books and one book for adults, ''God is Brazilian'', a biography of Charles Miller, the man who introduced fo ...

– '' The Dragonsitter'' * Inga Moore – '' Captain Cat'' *

Rick Riordan Richard Russell Riordan Junior (; born June 5, 1964) is an American author, best known for writing the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million co ...

– ''

The Mark of Athena ''The Mark of Athena'' is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 2, 2012, and is the third book in ''The Heroes of Olympus'' series, a sequel of the ''Percy Ja ...

'' *

Maggie Stiefvater Margaret Stiefvater ( ; Hummel) is an American writer of young adult fiction, known mainly for her series of fantasy novels '' The Wolves of Mercy Falls'' and ''The Raven Cycle''. She currently lives in Virginia. Life and career Early life ...

– '' The Raven Boys'' (first book in

The Raven Cycle The Raven Cycle is a series of four contemporary fantasy novels written by American author Maggie Stiefvater. The first novel, ''The Raven Boys'', was published by Scholastic Corporation, Scholastic in 2012, and the final book, ''The Raven King' ...

) *

Jacqueline Wilson Dame Jacqueline Wilson (née Aitken; born 17 December 1945) is an English novelist known for her popular children's literature. Her novels have been notable for featuring realistic topics such as adoption and divorce without alienating her lar ...

– '' The Worst Thing About My Sister''

Drama

Ayad Akhtar Ayad Akhtar (born October 28, 1970) is an American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter of Pakistani heritage, awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His work has received two Tony Award nominations for Best Play, an Award in Literature fr ...

– ''

Disgraced ''Disgraced'' is a 2012 play by novelist and screenwriter Ayad Akhtar. It premiered in Chicago and has had Off-Broadway and Off West End engagements. The play, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, opened on Broadway at the Lyceum The ...

'' *

Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two ...

**'' Cocktail Sticks'' **''Hymn'' **''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'' *

Monica Byrne Monica Byrne (born July 13, 1981) is an American playwright and science fiction author. She is best known for her drama ''What Every Girl Should Know'' and her debut novel '' The Girl in the Road'', which won the 2015 James Tiptree, Jr. Award and ...

– ''What Every Girl Should Know'' * Lolita Chakrabarti – '' Red Velvet'' * James Graham – '' This House'' *

Miho Mosulishvili Mikheil "Miho" Mosulishvili (; ka, მიხეილ "მიხო" მოსულიშვილი; born December 10, 1962) is a Georgian writer and playwright. Biography Mosulishvili graduated in 1986 from the Tbilisi State University. A ...

– '' My Redbreast'' * Suman Mukhopadhyay – ''

Bisarjan ''Bisarjan'' is a 2012 Bengali drama directed by Suman Mukhopadhyay. The play is based on Rabindranath Tagore's ''Bisarjan'' (1890). Plot Tagore's work was on how humans lost out their paradise trying to satisfy a god who wanted for animal sacr ...

'' *

Theresa Rebeck Theresa Rebeck (born February 19, 1958) is an American playwright, television writer, and novelist. Her work has appeared on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage, in film, and on television. Among her awards are the Mystery Writers of America's ...

– '' Dead Accounts'' *

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American actor, playwright, author, screenwriter, and director whose career spanned half a century. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any write ...

– ''Heartless'' * Anne Washburn – '' Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play'' *

Florian Zeller Florian Zeller (; born 28 June 1979) is a French novelist, playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, and film director. He won the Prix Interallié for his 2004 novel ''The Fascination of Evil'' and several awards for his plays. He wrote and ...

– ''

Le Père ''Le Père'' (''The Father'') is a play by the French playwright Florian Zeller that won in 2014 the Molière Award for Best Play. It premiered in September 2012 at the Théâtre Hébertot, Paris, with Robert Hirsch (André) and Isabelle Gélin ...

Poetry

''See

2012 in poetry Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France). Events *January 31 – A Chinese court sentences poet and political dissident Zhu Yufu to a seven-year prison term for "in ...

'' * Paige Ackerson-Kiely – ''My Love Is a Dead Arctic Explorer'' *

Marilyn Buck Marilyn Jean Buck (December 13, 1947 – August 3, 2010) was an American Marxist and feminist poet who was imprisoned for her participation in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur, the 1981 Brink's robbery and the 1983 U.S. Senate bombi ...

– ''Inside/Out: Selected Poems'' *

Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi Mehr or Mihr may refer to: Persian names * Mehr, an alternative name for Mithra, a Zoroastrian divinity * Mehr (month), the seventh month of the year and the sixteenth day of the month of the Iranian and Zoroastrian calendars * Mehr's day, or ...

– ''The Qat'aat o Rubaiyat of Zia Fatehabadi'' (quatrains, translation) *

Jack Gilbert Jack Gilbert (February 18, 1925 – November 13, 2012) was an American poet. Gilbert was acquainted with Jack Spicer and Allen Ginsberg, both prominent figureheads of the Beat Movement, but is not considered a Beat Poet; he described himself as ...

– ''Collected Poems'' * Paul Hoover – ''Desolation: Souvenir'' * Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波) – ''June Fourth Elegies'' (translation) *

Eileen Myles Eileen Myles (born December 9, 1949) is a LAMBDA Literary Award-winning American poet and writer who has produced more than twenty volumes of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, libretti, plays, and performance pieces over the last three decades. No ...

– ''Snow-Flake'' *

Lucia Perillo Lucia Maria Perillo (September 30, 1958 – October 16, 2016) was an American poet. In 2000, Perillo was recognized with a "genius grant" as part of the MacArthur Fellows Program. Life and career Perillo was born in Manhattan on September 30, 1 ...

– ''On the Spectrum of Possible Deaths'' *

D. A. Powell Douglas A. Powell (born May 16, 1963 Albany, Georgia) is an American poet. Life and career Powell lived in various places growing up, then graduated high school from Lindhurst High School in Olivehurst, California. He then worked in a number of ...

– ''Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys'' * W. G. Sebald – ''Across the Land and the Water: Selected Poems 1964–2001'' *

David Wagoner David Russell Wagoner (June 5, 1926 – December 18, 2021) was an American poet, novelist, and educator. Biography David Russell Wagoner was born on June 5, 1926, in Massillon, Ohio. Raised in Whiting, Indiana, from the age of seven, Wagoner at ...

– ''After the Point of No Return'' *Lew Welch – ''Ring of Bone: Collected Poems''

Science fiction and fantasy

*Joe Abercrombie – ''Red Country'' (November 20) *Daniel Abraham (author), Daniel Abraham ** ''The King's Blood'' (May 22) **(writing as James S. A. Corey) – ''Caliban's War'' (June 26) *Saladin Ahmed – ''Throne of the Crescent Moon'' (February 7) *Aaron Allston – ''Mercy Kill'' *Leigh Bardugo – ''Shadow and Bone'' *John Barrowman and Carole Barrowman – ''Hollow Earth (novel), Hollow Earth'' *John Birmingham – ''Angels of Vengeance'' (April 10) *Alex Bledsoe – ''Wake of the Bloody Angel'' (July 3) *David Brin – ''Existence'' (June 19) *Tobias Buckell – ''Arctic Rising'' (February 28) *Orson Scott Card – ''Shadows in Flight'' (January 17) *Samuel R. Delany – ''Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders'' (April 17) *Troy Denning – ''Fate of the Jedi, Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse'' *Steven Erikson – ''Forge of Darkness'' (September 18) *Ian C. Esslemont – ''Orb Sceptre Throne'' (May 22) *Brian Evenson – ''Immobility'' (April 10) *Michael F. Flynn – ''In the Lion's Mouth'' (January 17) *Mira Grant – ''Blackout'' (May 22) *Jon Courtenay Grimwood – ''The Outcast Blade'' (March 26) *Robin Hobb – ''City of Dragons'' (February 7) *Douglas Hulick – ''Sworn in Steel'' (June 5) *N. K. Jemisin **''The Killing Moon'' (May 1) **''The Shadowed Sun'' (June 12) *Stephen King – ''The Wind Through the Keyhole'' (April 24) *Mary Robinette Kowal – ''Glamour in Glass'' (April 10) *Jay Lake – ''Calamity of So Long a Life'' *Sarah J. Maas – ''Throne of Glass'' *Paul Melko – ''Broken Universe'' (June 5) *China Miéville – ''Railsea'' (May 15) *Michael Moorcock – ''The Whispering Swarm'' *Tim Powers – ''Hide Me Among the Graves'' (March 13) *Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter (author), Stephen Baxter – ''The Long Earth'' (June 19) *Hannu Rajaniemi – ''The Fractal Prince'' (September 4) *Alastair Reynolds – ''Blue Remembered Earth'' (June 5) *

– ''

'' (October 2) *Kim Stanley Robinson – ''2312'' (May 22) *Robert J. Sawyer – ''Triggers (novel), Triggers'' (April 3) *John Scalzi – ''Redshirts (novel), Redshirts'' (June 5) *Karl Schroeder – ''Ashes of Candesce'' (February 14) *Brian Francis Slattery – ''Lost Everything'' (April 10) *Charles Stross – ''The Apocalypse Codex'' (July 3) *Brent Weeks – ''The Blinding Knife'' (September 11) *Daniel H. Wilson – ''Amped (novel), Amped'' (June 5) *Ben H. Winters – ''The Last Policeman'' (July 12) *Gene Wolfe – ''The Land Across''

Crime, horror etc.

*Ace Atkins – ''Lullaby (Spenser novel), Lullaby'' (May 1) *Laird Barron – ''The Croning'' (May 1) *Ted Bell – ''Phantom'' (March 20) *Alex Berenson – ''The Shadow Patrol'' (February 21) *Steve Berry (novelist), Steve Berry – ''The Columbus Affair'' (May 15) *James Lee Burke – ''Creole Belle'' (July 17) *Lee Child – ''A Wanted Man'' (September 27) *Lincoln Child – ''The Third Gate'' (June 12) *Harlan Coben – ''Stay Close'' (March 20) *Michael Connelly – ''The Black Box (novel), The Black Box'' (November 26) *Robert Crais – ''Taken (Robert Crais novel), Taken'' (January 24) *Justin Cronin – ''The Twelve (novel), The Twelve'' (October 16) *Clive Cussler – ''The Storm (Cussler novel), The Storm'' (June 5) *Nelson DeMille – ''The Panther (novel), The Panther'' (October 16) *Gillian Flynn – ''Gone Girl (novel), Gone Girl'' (June 5) *Vince Flynn – ''Kill Shot'' (February 7) *Seth Grahame-Smith – ''Unholy Night'' (April 10) *John Grisham **''Calico Joe'' (April 10) **''The Racketeer'' (legal thriller, October 23) *Philip Kerr – ''Prague Fatale'' (April 17) *Tom Knox – ''The Lost Goddess'' (February 7) *Dean Koontz – ''Odd Apocalypse (book), Odd Apocalypse'' (July 31) *William Landay – ''Defending Jacob'' (January 31) *Joe R. Lansdale – ''Edge of Dark Water'' (March 12) *Dennis Lehane – ''Live by Night'' (October 2) *Elmore Leonard – ''Raylan (novel), Raylan'' (January 17) *Robert R. McCammon – ''The Providence Rider'' (May 31) *Jo Nesbø – ''Phantom'' (October 2) *Michael Palmer (novelist), Michael Palmer – ''Oath of Office'' (February 14) *Ridley Pearson – ''The Risk Agent'' (June 19) *Matthew Reilly – ''Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves, Scarecrow Returns'' (January 3) *Jeremy Robinson – ''Second World'' (May 22) *James Rollins – ''Bloodline'' (June 26) *Greg Rucka – ''Alpha'' (May 22) *John Sandford (novelist), John Sandford – ''Stolen Prey'' (May 15) *Scott Sigler – ''Nocturnal (novel), Nocturnal'' (April 3) *Daniel Silva (novelist), Daniel Silva – ''Fallen Angel'' (July 17) *James Swain – ''Dark Magic'' (May 22) *Brad Thor – ''Black List'' (July 31) *Joseph Wambaugh –''Harbor Nocturne'' (April 3) *David Wellington (author), David Wellington – ''32 Fangs'' (April 24) *F. Paul Wilson – ''Nightworld (novel), Nightworld'' (May 22)

Non-fiction

*Marty Appel – ''Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss'' (May 8) *Alison Bechdel – ''Are You My Mother?'' (memoir, May 1) *Antony Beevor – ''The Second World War'' (June 5) *Katherine Boo – ''Behind the Beautiful Forevers'' (February 7) *David Byrne – ''How Music Works'' (December 12) *Gregor Collins – ''The Accidental Caregiver'' (August 18) *Susan Cain – ''Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking'' (January 24) *Charles Duhigg – ''The Power of Habit'' (February 28) *Michael Hastings (journalist), Michael Hastings – ''The Operators (book), The Operators'' (January 10) *Lawrence M. Krauss – ''A Universe from Nothing'' (January 10) *Mark Levin – ''Ameritopia'' (January 17) *George Megalogenis – ''The Australian Moment'' *Masha Gessen – ''The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin'' (March 1) *Dan Jones (writer), Dan Jones – ''The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England'' (UK) *Jonah Lehrer – ''Imagine: How Creativity Works, Imagine'' (March 20) *Rachel Maddow – ''Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power, Drift'' (March 27) *Marilynne Robinson – ''When I Was a Child I Read Books'' (March 27) *Michael Lind – ''Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States, Land of Promise'' (April 17) *Jonathan Haidt – ''The Righteous Mind'' (April 2) *E. O. Wilson – ''The Social Conquest of Earth'' (April 9) *Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy (American journalist), Michael Duffy – ''The President's Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity'' (April 19) *Edward Humes – ''Garbology (book), Garbology'' (April 19) *Peter Bergen – ''Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden, from 9/11 to Abbottabad'' (May 1) *Steve Coll – ''Private Empire'' (May 1) *Robert A. Caro – ''The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson'' (May 1) *Warren Littlefield and T. R. Pearson – ''Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV'' (May 1) *Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein – ''It's Even Worse Than It Looks'' (May 1) *Tom Holland (author), Tom Holland – ''In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire'' (May 15) *John MacCormick – ''9 Algorithms That Changed the Future'' *Patrisha McLean – ''All Fall Down, The Brandon deWilde Story'' (May 15) *Callum Roberts (biologist), Callum Roberts – ''The Ocean of Life'' (May 22) *Douglas Brinkley – ''Cronkite'' (May 29) *Michelle Obama – ''American Grown'' (May 29) *Christoph Ransmayr – ''Atlas of an Anxious Man'' (''Atlas eines ängstlichen Mannes''; Austria) *Arun Shourie – ''Worshipping False Gods'' *Amity Shlaes – ''Coolidge'' (June 26) *Peter Watson (intellectual historian), Peter Watson – ''The Great Divide'' (June 26) *Alec Wilkinson – ''The Ice Balloon: S. A. Andree and the Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration'' (January 24) *David Wolman – ''The End of Money'' (February 14) *Ro Khanna – ''Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing is Still Key to America's Future'' (July 24) *Jim Holt (philosopher), Jim Holt – ''Why Does the World Exist?'' (July 16) *Michael D. Lemonick – ''Mirror Earth'' (October 16) *Helaine Olen – ''Pound Foolish, Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry''

Deaths

*January 3 – Josef Škvorecký, Czech-born novelist and publisher (born 1924 in literature, 1924) *January 7 – Ibrahim Aslan, Egyptian journalist and author (born 1935 in literature, 1935) *January 19 – On Sarig, Israeli children's author (born 1926 in literature, 1926) *January 23 – Maurice Meisner, American historian, author, and academic (born 1931 in literature, 1931) *January 28 – Don Starkell, Canadian diarist and author (born 1932 in literature, 1932) *January 29 – Damien Bona, American historian and journalist (born 1955 in literature, 1955) *January 30 – Bill Wallace (author), Bill Wallace, American children's author and educator (born 1947 in literature, 1947) *February 1 – Wisława Szymborska, Polish poet and Nobel laureate (born 1923 in literature, 1923) *February 3 – John Christopher (Samuel Youd) English science fiction novelist (born 1922 in literature, 1922) *February 4 – Irene McKinney, American poet (born 1939 in literature, 1939) *February 4 – John Turner Sargent Sr., American publisher (born 1924 in literature, 1924) *February 21 – Barney Rosset, American publisher (born 1922 in literature, 1922) *March 21 – Christine Brooke-Rose, Swiss-born English novelist and translator (born 1923 in literature, 1923) *March 25 – Antonio Tabucchi, Italian writer (born 1943 in literature, 1943) *March 27 – Adrienne Rich, American writer (born 1929 in literature, 1929) *March 28 – John Arden, English playwright (born 1930 in literature, 1930) *April 2 – Sarah Dreher, American novelist and playwright (born 1937 in literature, 1937) *April 7 – Miss Read (Dora Jesse Shafe), English novelist (born 1913 in literature, 1913) *April 8 – Janusz K. Zawodny, Polish-American and political scientist (born 1921 in literature, 1921) *April 17 – Leila Berg, English children's writer and activist (born 1917 in literature, 1917) *April 26 – Ardian Klosi, Albanian publicist and writer (suicide, born 1957 in literature, 1957) *May 8 – Maurice Sendak, American children's author and illustrator (born 1928 in literature, 1928) *May 12 – Walter Wink, American theologian and scholar (born 1935 in literature, 1935) *May 15 **Jean Craighead George, American novelist (born 1919 in literature, 1919) **Carlos Fuentes, Mexican novelist and essayist (born 1928 in literature, 1928) *May 26 – Leo & Diane Dillon, Leo Dillon, American children's author and illustrator (born 1933 in literature, 1933) *June 5 **Ray Bradbury, American science-fiction and fantasy author (born 1920 in literature, 1920) **Barry Unsworth, English writer of historical fiction (born 1930 in literature, 1930) *June 19 – Emili Teixidor, Catalonia, Catalan journalist and author (born 1933 in literature, 1933) *June 23 – Marjorie Chibnall, medievalist, biographer and translator (born 1915 in literature, 1915) *July 28 – Carol Kendall (writer), Carol Kendall, American children's writer (born 1917 in literature, 1917) *July 30 **Maeve Binchy, Irish novelist, playwright and short story writer (born 1939 in literature, 1939) **Héctor Tizón, Argentinian writer and diplomat (born 1929 in literature, 1929) *July 31 **Mollie Hunter, Scottish novelist and children's writer (born 1922 in literature, 1922) **Gore Vidal, American novelist, playwright and political commentator (born 1925 in literature, 1925) *August 2 **Amos Hakham, Israeli biblical scholar (born 1921 in literature, 1921) **Sir John Keegan, English military historian and journalist (born 1934 in literature, 1934) **Gilbert Prouteau, French poet and film director (born 1917 in literature, 1917) *August 4 – Henry Scholberg, American bibliographer (born 1921 in literature, 1921) *August 6 – Robert Hughes (critic), Robert Hughes, Australian critic and historian (born 1938 in literature, 1938) *August 11 – Heidi Holland, South African journalist and author (born 1947 in literature, 1947) *August 22 – Nina Bawden, English novelist and children's writer (born 1925 in literature, 1925) *September 6 – Horacio Vázquez-Rial, Argentine-born Spanish writer (cancer, born 1947 in literature, 1947) *September 8 – Jon Tolaas, Norwegian poet and novelist (born 1939 in literature, 1939) *September 10 **Ernesto de la Peña, Mexican writer (born 1927 in literature, 1927) **Hans Joachim Störig, German writer, lexicographer and translator (born 1915 in literature, 1915) *September 12 – Arkadii Dragomoshchenko, Russian poet (born 1946 in literature, 1946) *September 14 – Louis Simpson, American poet (Alzheimer's disease, born 1923 in literature, 1923) *September 15 – Fred Bodsworth, Canadian writer (born 1918 in literature, 1918) *September 20 **Robert G. Barrett, Australian author (cancer, born 1942 in literature, 1942) **Tereska Torrès, French writer (born 1920 in literature, 1920) *September 21 – Sven Hassel (Børge Pedersen), Danish novelist (born 1917 in literature, 1917) *September 22 – Irving Adler, American author, mathematician, and scientist (born 1913 in literature, 1913) *October 7 – Ivo Michiels (Henri Paul René Ceuppens), Belgian writer in Flemish (born 1923 in literature, 1923) *October 21 – George McGovern, American politician and writer (born 1922 in literature, 1922) *October 25 – Aude (writer), Aude, Canadian novelist (born 1947 in literature, 1947) *October 29 – J. Bernlef, Dutch writer (born 1937 in literature, 1937) *November 2 – János Rózsás, Hungarian writer (born 1926 in literature, 1926) *November 19 – Boris Strugatsky, Soviet Russian writer (pneumonia, born 1925 in literature, 1925) *November 20 – Ivan Kušan, Croatian writer (born 1933 in literature, 1933) *November 22 – Jan Trefulka, Czech writer and dissident (renal failure, born 1929 in literature, 1929) *December 6 – Jan Carew, Guyanese novelist and playwright (born 1920 in literature, 1920) *December 28 – Jayne Cortez, African-American poet (born 1934 in literature, 1934) *December 31 – Jovette Marchessault, Canadian novelist and playwright (born 1938 in literature, 1938)

Awards

*Caine Prize for African Writing: Babatunde Rotimi, "Bombay's Republic" *Camões Prize: Dalton Trevisan *Carnegie Medal (literary award), Carnegie Medal for children's literature: Patrick Ness, ''A Monster Calls'' *Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award: Gene Wolfe *Dayne Ogilvie Prize: Main award, Amber Dawn; honour of distinction, Mariko Tamaki. *Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction: Joshua Knelman, ''Hot Art'' * European Book Prize: Rolf Bauerdick, ''Madonna on the moon'', and Luuk van Middelaar, ''Europe's passage'' *Governor General's Awards: Multiple categories; see 2012 Governor General's Awards. *Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction: Candace Savage, ''A Geography of Blood: Unearthing Memory from a Prairie Landscape'' *International Dublin Literary Award: Jon McGregor, ''Even the Dogs'' *International Prize for Arabic Fiction: Rabee Jaber, ''The Druze of Belgrade'' *Lambda Literary Awards: Multiple categories; see 2012 Lambda Literary Awards. *Man Booker Prize: ''Bring Up the Bodies'' by Hilary Mantel *Miles Franklin Award: Anna Funder, ''All That I Am (novel), All That I Am''. *National Biography Award: ''The Many Worlds of R. H. Mathews: In Search of an Australian Anthropologist'' *National Book Award for Fiction: to ''The Round House (novel), The Round House'' by Louise Erdrich *National Book Critics Circle Award: to '' Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'' by

*Nobel Prize in Literature: Mo Yan *Orange Prize for Fiction: to ''The Song of Achilles'' by Madeline Miller *PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: to ''The Buddha in the Attic'' by Julie Otsuka *Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry: John Agard *Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize: Tamas Dobozy, ''Siege 13'' *SAARC Literary Award: Fakrul Alam, Ayesha Zee Khan *Scotiabank Giller Prize: Will Ferguson, ''419 (novel), 419'' *Whiting Awards: Fiction: Alan Heathcock, Anthony Marra, Hanna Pylväinen; Nonfiction: Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts; Plays: Danai Gurira, Samuel D. Hunter, Mona Mansour, Meg Miroshnik; Poetry: Ciaran Berry, Atsuro Riley *Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award: Nino Ricci

Notes

References

External links

Literary events in 2012
at ''The Guardian''
Books to watch out for in autumn 2012
at ''The Guardian'' {{Year in literature article categories 2012 in literature, 2012 in literature 2012 books Years of the 21st century in literature

Events

New books

Fiction (literary)

Children and young people

Drama

Poetry

Science fiction and fantasy

Crime, horror etc.

Non-fiction

Deaths

Awards

See also

Notes

References

External links