This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1982.

Events

* February 17 – Philip K. Dick ignores advice to go immediately to hospital. A fortnight later, after two strokes, he is pronounced brain-dead and disconnected from his life-support machine. *

March 18 Events Pre-1600 * 37 – Roman Senate annuls Tiberius' will and proclaims Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ''(aka Caligula = Little Boots)'' emperor.Tacitus, ''Annals'' V.10. * 1068 – An earthquake in the Levant and the Ara ...

– A legal case brought on behalf of Mary Whitehouse against theater director

Michael Bogdanov Michael Bogdanov (15 December 1938 – 16 April 2017) was a British theatre director known for his work with new plays, modern reinterpretations of Shakespeare, musicals and work for young people. Early years Bogdanov was born Michael Bogd ...

concerning alleged indecency in a performance of Howard Brenton's play '' The Romans in Britain'' at the National Theatre in London is dropped after the Attorney General intervenes. *

June 25 Events Pre-1600 * 524 – The Franks are defeated by the Burgundians in the Battle of Vézeronce. * 841 – In the Battle of Fontenay-en-Puisaye, forces led by Charles the Bald and Louis the German defeat the armies of Lothair I of ...

– In '' Island Trees School District v. Pico'' (), the Supreme Court of the United States concludes that "local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books and seek by their removal to 'prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.'" *September – Banned Books Week is instituted in the United States. *

October 7 Events Pre-1600 * 3761 BC – The epoch reference date (start) of the modern Hebrew calendar. * 1403 – Venetian–Genoese wars: The Genoese fleet under a French admiral is defeated by a Venetian fleet at the Battle of Modon. * 1477 ...

– After Sue Townsend's comic character Adrian Mole is introduced (as Nigel Mole, aged 13, living in the East Midlands of England) in a

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' ...

play, the book ''

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ ''The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾'' is the first book in the Adrian Mole series of comedic fiction, written by Sue Townsend. The book is written in a diary style, and focuses on the worries and regrets of a teenager who believes h ...

'', is released; it sells 1.9 million copies in three years. *''unknown dates'' **'' La Bicyclette bleue (The Blue Bicycle)'' by Régine Deforges is a runaway success and becomes one of France's all-time bestselling novels. ** The Oxford Shakespeare, under the general editorship of Stanley Wells, begins publication. **

Dorling Kindersley Dorling Kindersley Limited (branded as DK) is a British multinational publishing company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 63 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of German media co ...

, formerly a book packager, begins publishing.

New books

Fiction

Brian Aldiss Brian Wilson Aldiss (; 18 August 1925 – 19 August 2017) was an English writer, artist, and anthology editor, best known for science fiction novels and short stories. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss, except for o ...

– ''

Helliconia Spring ''Helliconia Spring'' is a novel by Brian W. Aldiss published in 1982, set in a world with two suns and where each year is incredibly long. Dave Pringle reviewed ''Helliconia Spring'' for '' Imagine'' magazine, and stated that "it seems the hour ...

'' (First of the Helliconia trilogy) *

Isabel Allende Isabel Angélica Allende Llona (; born in Lima, 2 August 1942) is a Chilean writer. Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the genre magical realism, is known for novels such as ''The House of the Spirits'' (''La casa de los espír ...

– '' The House of the Spirits (La casa de los espíritus)'' * Isaac Asimov – '' Foundation's Edge'' * Jean M. Auel – '' The Valley of Horses'' * Lynne Reid Banks – '' The Indian in the Cupboard'' *

René Barjavel René Barjavel (24 January 1911 – 24 November 1985) was a French author, journalist and critic who may have been the first to think of the grandfather paradox in time travel. He was born in Nyons, a town in the Drôme department in southeastern ...

– '' La Tempête'' * Julian Barnes – ''

Before She Met Me ''Before She Met Me'' is a novel by English writer Julian Barnes, first published in 1982 by Jonathan Cape Jonathan Cape is a London publishing firm founded in 1921 by Herbert Jonathan Cape, who was head of the firm until his death in 1960. ...

'' * Michael Bishop – '' Blooded on Arachne'' * William Boyd – '' An Ice-Cream War'' * José Cardoso Pires – '' Balada da Praia dos Cães'' * Arthur C. Clarke – '' 2010: Odyssey Two'' *

Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English-American author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also written ''The Saxon ...

– '' Sharpe's Company'' * L. Sprague de Camp – '' The Virgin of Zesh & The Tower of Zanid'' * L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter – '' Conan the Barbarian'' *

August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...

– '' The Solar Pons Omnibus'' *

Marguerite Duras Marguerite Germaine Marie Donnadieu (, 4 April 1914 – 3 March 1996), known as Marguerite Duras (), was a French novelist, playwright, screenwriter, essayist, and experimental filmmaker. Her script for the film '' Hiroshima mon amour'' (1959) e ...

– '' The Malady of Death'' *

Zee Edgell Zelma Inez Edgell, better known as Zee Edgell, MBE (21 October 1940 – 20 December 2020), was a Belizean-born American writer who published four novels. She retired as a full, tenured professor of English at Kent State University. Biography Z ...

– '' Beka Lamb'' *

Stanley Elkin Stanley Lawrence Elkin (May 11, 1930 – May 31, 1995) was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. His extravagant, satirical fiction revolves around American consumerism, popular culture, and male-female relationships. Biograp ...

– '' George Mills'' *

Penelope Fitzgerald Penelope Mary Fitzgerald (17 December 1916 – 28 April 2000) was a Booker Prize-winning novelist, poet, essayist and biographer from Lincoln, England. In 2008 ''The Times'' listed her among "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945". ''The Ob ...

– '' At Freddie's'' *

Ken Follett Kenneth Martin Follett, (born 5 June 1949) is a British author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 160 million copies of his works. Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists. For example, in the ...

– ''

The Man from St. Petersburg ''The Man from St. Petersburg'' is a Thriller (genre), thriller novel by Welsh writer Ken Follett, published in 1982 in literature, 1982. Plot The book is set just before the outbreak of World War I, against the background of the Anglo-German na ...

'' *

John Fowles John Robert Fowles (; 31 March 1926 – 5 November 2005) was an English novelist of international renown, critically positioned between modernism and postmodernism. His work was influenced by Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, among others. Aft ...

– '' Mantissa'' *

Max Frisch Max Rudolf Frisch (; 15 May 1911 – 4 April 1991) was a Swiss playwright and novelist. Frisch's works focused on problems of identity, individuality, responsibility, morality, and political commitment. The use of irony is a significant featur ...

– ''

Bluebeard "Bluebeard" (french: Barbe bleue, ) is a French folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in '' Histoires ou contes du temps passé''. The tale tells the s ...

'' * John Gardner – ''

For Special Services ''For Special Services'', first published in 1982, was the second novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Jonathan Cap ...

'' (

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

novel) *

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

– '' Monsignor Quixote'' *

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

– ''

Friday Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth d ...

'' * L. Ron Hubbard – '' Battlefield Earth'' *

Hammond Innes Ralph Hammond Innes (15 July 1913 – 10 June 1998) was a British novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as works for children and travel books. Biography Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at Feltonfleet School, Cobham, Surrey ...

– '' The Black Tide'' *

Kazuo Ishiguro Sir Kazuo Ishiguro ( ; born 8 November 1954) is a British novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short-story writer. Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and moved to Britain in 1960 with his parents when he was five. He is one of the most cr ...

– '' A Pale View of Hills'' *

John Jakes John William Jakes (born March 31, 1932) is an American writer, best known for American historical and speculative fiction. His Civil War trilogy, ''North and South'', has sold millions of copies worldwide. He is also the author of The Kent Fam ...

– ''North and South'' * Thomas Keneally – '' Schindler's Ark'' * David Kesterton – '' The Darkling'' * Stephen King **'' Different Seasons'' **'' Pet Sematary'' **'' The Running Man'' * W. P. Kinsella – '' Shoeless Joe'' * Judith Krantz – ''

Mistral's Daughter ''Mistral's Daughter'' is a 1984 American television miniseries, adapted from Judith Krantz's 1982 bonkbuster novel of the same name. Plot summary In 1925, Jewish artist’s model Maggy Lunel (Stefanie Powers) arrives in Paris and overcomes her ...

'' *

Peter Kreeft Peter John Kreeft (; born March 16, 1937) is a professor of philosophy at Boston College and The King's College. A convert to Roman Catholicism, he is the author of over eighty books on Christian philosophy, theology and apologetics. He also f ...

– '' Between Heaven and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis, & Aldous Huxley'' * Derek Lambert – '' The Red Dove'' * Morgan Llywelyn – ''The Horse Goddess'' *

Robert Ludlum Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 – March 12, 2001) was an American author of 27 thriller novels, best known as the creator of Jason Bourne from the original '' The Bourne Trilogy'' series. The number of copies of his books in print is estimated b ...

– '' The Parsifal Mosaic'' * Colleen McCullough – '' An Indecent Obsession'' * Russell McCormmach – ''

Night Thoughts of a Classical Physicist ''Night Thoughts of a Classical Physicist'' is a historical novel by historian of science Russell McCormmach, published in 1982 by Harvard University Press. Set in 1918, the book explores the world of physics in the early 20th century—including ...

'' * Ngaio Marsh – ''

Light Thickens ''Light Thickens'' is a detective novel by Ngaio Marsh; it is the thirty-second, and final, novel to feature Roderick Alleyn, and was first published in 1982. The plot concerns the murder of the lead actor in a production of ''Macbeth'' in Londo ...

'' *

George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...

– ''

Fevre Dream ''Fevre Dream'' is a 1982 vampire novel written by American author George R. R. Martin. It is set on the antebellum Mississippi River, beginning in 1857, and has been described by critics and Martin himself as "Bram Stoker meets Mark Twain". Abou ...

'' * James Merrill – '' The Changing Light at Sandover'' * James A. Michener – ''

Space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually cons ...

'' * Timothy Mo – '' Sour Sweet'' * Harry Mulisch – '' The Assault'' *

Chris Mullin Christopher Paul Mullin (born July 30, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player, executive and coach. He is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (in 2010 as a memb ...

– ''

A Very British Coup ''A Very British Coup'' is a 1982 novel by British politician Chris Mullin. The novel has twice been adapted for television; as '' A Very British Coup'' in 1988 and as '' Secret State'' in 2012. Plot Harry Perkins is the left-wing Leader of th ...

'' *

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 ...

(村上春樹) – '' A Wild Sheep Chase'' (羊をめぐる冒険, ''Hitsuji o Meguru Bōken'') * Gerald Murnane – ''The Plains'' *

Ellis Peters Edith Mary Pargeter (28 September 1913 – 14 October 1995), also known by her ''nom de plume'' Ellis Peters, was an English author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her transla ...

– '' The Virgin in the Ice'' * T. R. Subba Rao – '' Durgaastamana'' *

José Saramago José de Sousa Saramago, GColSE ComSE GColCa (; 16 November 1922 – 18 June 2010), was a Portuguese writer and recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature for his "parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony ith which hec ...

– ''Memorial do Convento'' (translated as '' Baltasar and Blimunda'') *

Sidney Sheldon Sidney Sheldon (February 11, 1917 – January 30, 2007) was an American writer. He was prominent in the 1930s, first working on Broadway plays, and then in motion pictures, notably writing the successful comedy '' The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxe ...

– '' Master of the Game'' *

Elizabeth Smart Elizabeth Ann Gilmour (née Smart; born November 3, 1987) is an American child safety activist and commentator for ABC News. She gained national attention at age 14 when she was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City by Brian David Mitchell. ...

– ''The Assumption of the Rogues and Rascals'' *

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 ...

– '' Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant'' *

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

– ''

Deadeye Dick ''Deadeye Dick'' is a novel by Kurt Vonnegut originally published in 1982. Plot summary The novel's main character, Rudy Waltz, or "Deadeye Dick", commits accidental manslaughter as a child when he shoots a gun out of a window and fatally strike ...

'' *

John Wain John Barrington Wain CBE (14 March 1925 – 24 May 1994) was an English poet, novelist, and critic, associated with the literary group known as " The Movement". He worked for most of his life as a freelance journalist and author, writing and re ...

– '' Young Shoulders'' *

Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awa ...

– '' The Color Purple'' * Connie Willis and

Cynthia Felice Cynthia Felice (born October 12, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American science fiction writer. She is best known for her complex, carefully plotted stories and expansive universes. Her first novel, ''Godsfire'', and her first short story, " ...

– '' Water Witch'' *

Gene Wolfe Gene Rodman Wolfe (May 7, 1931 – April 14, 2019) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and nove ...

– '' The Citadel of the Autarch'' *

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

**'' Eye of Cat'' **''

Dilvish, the Damned ''Dilvish, the Damned'' is a collection of fantasy stories by American writer Roger Zelazny, first published in 1982. Its contents were originally published as a series of separate short stories in various fantasy magazines. Prior to publication, ...

'' * Stefan Zweig – '' The Post Office Girl'' (''Rausch der Verwandlung'' – The Intoxication of Transformation)

Children and young people

Chris Van Allsburg Chris Van Allsburg (born June 18, 1949) is an American illustrator and writer of children's books. He has won two Caldecott Medals for U.S. picture book illustration, for ''Jumanji'' (1981) and ''The Polar Express'' (1985), both of which he a ...

– ''Ben's Dream'' * Gillian Cross – '' The Demon Headmaster'' (first in an eponymous series of six) * Roald Dahl – '' The BFG'' * Steve Jackson and

Ian Livingstone Sir Ian Livingstone (born 29 December 1949) is an English fantasy author and entrepreneur. Along with Steve Jackson, he is the co-founder of a series of role-playing gamebooks, ''Fighting Fantasy'', and the author of many books within that s ...

– '' The Warlock of Firetop Mountain'' * Margaret Mahy – '' The Haunting'' *

Michael Morpurgo Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo ('' né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as ''War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytell ...

– ''

War Horse The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...

'' *

Ruth Park Rosina Ruth Lucia Park AM (24 August 191714 December 2010) was a New Zealand–born Australian author. Her best known works are the novels '' The Harp in the South'' (1948) and ''Playing Beatie Bow'' (1980), and the children's radio serial '' ...

– '' The Muddle-Headed Wombat Stays at Home'' * Bill Peet – ''The Luckiest One of All'' * Claude Roy (illustrated by Willi Glasauer) – ''The Cat who Talked in Spite of Himself (Le chat qui parlait malgré lui)'' * Viveca Sundvall – '' En ettas dagbok'' * Sue Townsend – ''

Drama

* Caryl Churchill – ''

Top Girls ''Top Girls'' is a 1982 play by Caryl Churchill. It centres around Marlene, a career-driven woman who is heavily invested in women's success in business. The play examines the roles available to women in old society, and what it means or takes fo ...

'' *

Andrea Dunbar Andrea Dunbar (22 May 1961 – 20 December 1990) was an English playwright. She wrote ''The Arbor'' (1980) and ''Rita, Sue and Bob Too'' (1982), an autobiographical drama about the sexual adventures of teenage girls living in a run-down part of ...

– ''Rita, Sue and Bob Too'' * Peter Flannery – ''

Our Friends in the North ''Our Friends in the North'' is a British television drama serial produced by the BBC. It was originally broadcast in nine episodes on BBC2 in early 1996. Written by Peter Flannery, it tells the story of four friends from Newcastle upon Tyne ...

'' *

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce '' Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy''. His novels, such as '' Towards the End of the M ...

– ''

Noises Off ''Noises Off'' is a 1982 play by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funnier ...

'' * Athol Fugard – '' "Master Harold"...and the Boys'' *

Elfriede Jelinek Elfriede Jelinek (; born 20 October 1946) is an Austrian playwright and novelist. She is one of the most decorated authors writing in German today and was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature for her "musical flow of voices and counter-vo ...

– '' Clara S, musikalische Tragödie'' *

Maryat Lee Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre, pioneering street theatre in Harlem and later fou ...

and the people of Hinton, West Virginia – '' A Double-Threaded Life: The Hinton Play'' * Doug Lucie – ''Hard Feelings'' * Stephen MacDonald – '' Not About Heroes'' *

Frank McGuinness Professor Frank McGuinness (born 1953) is an Irish writer. As well as his own plays, which include '' The Factory Girls'', ''Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme'', '' Someone Who'll Watch Over Me'' and ''Dolly West's Kitchen'' ...

– '' The Factory Girls'' * Peter O'Donnell – '' Mr. Fothergill's Murder'' * Tom Stoppard – ''

The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to: Film and television * The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film * ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...

'' *

August Wilson August Wilson ( Frederick August Kittel Jr.; April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005) was an American playwright. He has been referred to as the "theater's poet of Black America". He is best known for a series of ten plays, collectively called ' (or ...

– ''

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' is a 1982 play – one of the ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle by August Wilson, and the only one not set in Pittsburgh – that chronicles the 20th-century African-American experience. The play is set in a recording stu ...

Non-fiction

* Irving Abella and Harold Troper – '' None is Too Many'' * Martin Amis – '' Invasion of the Space Invaders'' * Luc Brisson – ''

Plato the Myth Maker ''Plato the Myth Maker'' (french: Platon, les mots et les mythes, lit, Plato, the words and the myths) is a book by the Canadian historian and anthropologist Luc Brisson, published in 1982. An English translation was published in 1998. Background ...

'' (''Platon, les mots et les mythes'') * Beth Chatto – ''The Damp Garden'' *Mark Ellingham (editor) – '' The Rough Guide to Greece'' * Bruce Feirstein – ''

Real Men Don't Eat Quiche ''Real Men Don't Eat Quiche'' is a best-selling tongue-in-cheek book satirizing stereotypes of masculinity by the American screenwriter and humorist Bruce Feirstein, published in 1982 (). The title alludes to the gender associations of quiche ...

'' *Eduardo Galeano – ''Memoria del fuego'' (Memory of Fire), vol. 1 *Carol Gilligan – ''In a Different Voice'' *Sita Ram Goel – ''How I Became a Hindu'' *Traian Herseni – ''Teoria generală a vieții sociale omenești'' (The General Theory of Human Social Life, posthumous) *Rhys Isaac – ''The Transformation of Virginia, 1740–1790'' *Ryszard Kapuściński – ''Shah of Shahs (book), Shah of Shahs (Szachinszach)'' *Gary Kinder (author), Gary Kinder – ''Victim: The Other Side of Murder'' *Audre Lorde – ''Zami: A New Spelling of My Name'' *Elaine Morgan (writer), Elaine Morgan – ''The Aquatic Ape'' *John Naisbitt – ''Megatrends'' *Fernando Pessoa (died 1935) – ''The Book of Disquiet (Livro do Desassossego: Composto por Bernardo Soares, ajudante de guarda-livros na cidade de Lisboa)'' *Tom Peters – ''In Search of Excellence'' *Erin Pizzey – ''Prone to Violence'' *Richard Rodriguez – ''Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez'' (autobiography) *Richard Rorty – ''Consequences of Pragmatism'' *Jonathan Schell – ''The Fate of the Earth'' *Margaret Trudeau – ''Consequences'' *Rebecca West – ''1900''

Births

*January 14 – Luke Wright (poet), Luke Wright, English poet *February 5 – Lauren Gunderson, American playwright *March 24 – Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir, Icelandic children's fiction writer *April 21 – Claybourne Elder, American actor, singer, and writer *May 10 – Jeremy Gable, English-American playwright *June 29 ** Colin Jost, American actor, writer, and comedian ** Ott Sepp, Estonian actor, singer, writer and television presenter *July 8 – James Graham (playwright), James Graham, English playwright *July 16 – Angel David Revilla, Venezuelan journalist and writer

Deaths

*January 16 – Ramón J. Sender, Spanish novelist (b. 1901) *February 5 – Ronald Welch (Ronald Oliver Felton) Welsh novelist and children's writer writing in English (born 1909 in literature, 1909) *February 11 – Albert Facey, Australian autobiographer (born 1894 in literature, 1894) *February 13 – Barbara Sleigh, English children's writer (born 1906 in literature, 1906) *February 18 – Dame Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand crime writer and theatre director (born 1895 in literature, 1895) *March 2 – Philip K. Dick, American writer (stroke; born 1928 in literature, 1928) *March 3 – Georges Perec, French novelist (lung cancer; born 1936 in literature, 1936) *March 6 – Ayn Rand, Russian-born American novelist, playwright and screenwriter (born 1905 in literature, 1905) *March 25 ** Goodman Ace, American humorist (born 1899 in literature, 1899) ** Hugo Huppert, Austrian poet, writer and translator (born 1902 in literature, 1902) *March 27 ** Harriet Adams, American novelist (born 1892 in literature, 1892) ** Ted Lewis (writer), Ted Lewis, English crime novelist (born 1940 in literature, 1940) *May 10 – Peter Weiss, German writer and artist (born 1916 in literature, 1916) *June 6 – Kenneth Rexroth, American poet and critic (born 1905 in literature, 1905) *June 18 ** Djuna Barnes, American writer (born 1892 in literature, 1892) ** John Cheever, American novelist and short story writer (born 1912 in literature, 1912) *July 3 – Engvald Bakkan, Norwegian novelist and children's writer (born 1897 in literature, 1897) *August 6 – S. K. Pottekkatt, Indian writer (born 1913 in literature, 1913) *September 14 – John Gardner (American writer), John Gardner, American novelist (motorcycle accident, born 1933 in literature, 1933) *

– Alejandro Núñez Alonso, Spanish novelist (born 1905 in literature, 1905) *October 22 – Savitri Devi, French-born writer and philosopher (born 1905 in literature, 1905) *October 30 – Iryna Vilde, Ukrainian writer (born 1907 in literature, 1907) *November 5 – Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Korean-American novelist (murdered; born 1951 in literature, 1951) *December 5 – Caryl Brahms, English critic, novelist and journalist (born 1901 in literature, 1901) *December 21 – Ants Oras, Estonian writer (born 1900 in literature, 1900) *December 24 – Louis Aragon, French poet and writer (born 1897 in literature, 1897)

Awards

*Nobel Prize in Literature: Gabriel García Márquez

Australia

*The Australian/Vogel Literary Award: Brian Castro, ''Birds of Passage''; Nigel Krauth, ''Matilda, My Darling'' *Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: Fay Zwicky, ''Kaddish and Other Poems'' *Miles Franklin Award: Rodney Hall (writer), Rodney Hall, ''Just Relations''

Canada

*See 1982 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.

France

*Prix Goncourt: Dominique Fernandez, ''Dans la main de l'Ange'' *Prix Médicis French: Jean-François Josselin, ''L'Enfer et Cie'' *Prix Médicis International: Umberto Eco, ''The Name of the Rose''

Spain

*Miguel de Cervantes Prize: Luis Rosales

United Kingdom

*Booker Prize: Thomas Keneally, '' Schindler's Ark'' *Carnegie Medal (literary award), Carnegie Medal for children's literature: Margaret Mahy, '' The Haunting'' *Cholmondeley Award: Basil Bunting, Herbert Lomas (poet), Herbert Lomas, William Scammell *Eric Gregory Award: Steve Ellis (poet), Steve Ellis, Jeremy Reed (writer), Jeremy Reed, Alison Brackenbury, Neil Astley, Chris O'Neill (poet), Chris O'Neill, Joseph Bristow (literary scholar), Joseph Bristow, John Gibbens, James Lasdun *James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction: Bruce Chatwin, ''On the Black Hill'' *James Tait Black Memorial Prize for biography: Richard Ellmann, ''James Joyce'' *1982 Whitbread Awards, Whitbread Best Book Award: Bruce Chatwin, ''On the Black Hill''

United States

*Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize: Lawrence Joseph, ''Shouting at No One'' *American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medals#Fiction, novel, short story, American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Fiction, Bernard Malamud *Nebula Award for Best Novel: Michael Bishop, ''No Enemy But Time'' *Newbery Medal for children's literature: Nancy Willard, ''A Visit to William Blake's Inn'' *Pulitzer Prize for Drama: Charles Fuller, ''A Soldier's Play'' *Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: John Updike – ''Rabbit Is Rich'' *Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Sylvia Plath: ''The Collected Poems''

Elsewhere

*Hugo Award for Best Novel: ''Downbelow Station'' by C. J. Cherryh *Premio Nadal: Fernando Arrabal, ''La torre herida por un rayo''

References

{{Year in literature article categories 1982 books, Years of the 20th century in literature