This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1996.

Events

July 8 Events Pre-1600 * 1099 – Some 15,000 starving Christian soldiers begin the siege of Jerusalem by marching in a religious procession around the city as its Muslim defenders watch. *1283 – Roger of Lauria, commanding the Aragonese ...

–

Harper Lee Nelle Harper Lee (April 28, 1926February 19, 2016) was an American novelist best known for her 1960 novel ''To Kill a Mockingbird''. It won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. Lee has received numerou ...

's ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become ...

'',

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has pr ...

's ''

Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884). He is 12 ...

'' and 30 other books are struck from an English reading list in Lindale, Texas, as they "conflict with the values of the community." *

July 11 Events Pre-1600 * 472 – After being besieged in Rome by his own generals, Western Roman Emperor Anthemius is captured in St. Peter's Basilica and put to death. * 813 – Byzantine emperor Michael I, under threat by conspiracies, ...

– As requested by

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...

, Benjamin Zephaniah hosts the President's Two Nations Concert at London's

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

. * October 3 – The first performance is held in New York of

Eve Ensler V, formerly Eve Ensler (; born May 25, 1953), is an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist. V is best known for her play ''The Vagina Monologues''.

's episodic feminist play ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...

''. *''unknown dates'' **In the UK, the first

Orange Prize for Fiction The Women's Prize for Fiction (previously with sponsor names Orange Prize for Fiction (1996–2006 and 2009–12), Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction (2007–08) and Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction (2014–2017)) is one of the United Kingdom's m ...

for female novelists goes to

Helen Dunmore Helen Dunmore FRSL (12 December 1952 – 5 June 2017) was a British poet, novelist, and short story and children's writer. Her best known works include the novels ''Zennor in Darkness'', '' A Spell of Winter'' and ''The Siege'', and her last ...

for '' A Spell of Winter''. **

Peter O'Donnell Peter O'Donnell (11 April 1920 – 3 May 2010) was an English writer of mysteries and of comic strips, best known as the creator of ''Modesty Blaise'', an action heroine/undercover trouble-shooter. He was also an award-winning gothic h ...

publishes '' Cobra Trap'', a final volume featuring Modesty Blaise. The first appeared in 1965. **

Margaret Mitchell Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American novelist and journalist. Mitchell wrote only one novel, published during her lifetime, the American Civil War-era novel '' Gone with the Wind'', for which she wo ...

's lost first novella, '' Lost Laysen'', is published, 80 years after it was written. ** Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's ''Romance Writings'', including her novel ''Princess Docile'', are first published 234 years after her death.

New books

Fiction

Anonymous Anonymous may refer to: * Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown ** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author * Anony ...

( Joe Klein) – '' Primary Colors: a novel of politics'' * Jeffrey Archer – '' The Fourth Estate'' *

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, ...

– '' Alias Grace'' *

Beryl Bainbridge Dame Beryl Margaret Bainbridge (21 November 1932 – 2 July 2010) was an English writer from Liverpool. She was primarily known for her works of psychological fiction, often macabre tales set among the English working class. Bainbridge won the ...

– '' Every Man for Himself'' *

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. ...

– '' Absolute Power'' * Iain M. Banks – '' Excession'' * David Bergen – '' A Year of Lesser'' * Thomas Berger – ''Suspects'' *

Harold Bloom Harold Bloom (July 11, 1930 – October 14, 2019) was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was described as "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking worl ...

– ''Omens of Millennium: The Gnosis of Angels, Dreams, and Resurrection'' * Xurxo Borrazás – ''Eu é'' *

Dionne Brand Dionne Brand (born 7 January 1953) is a Canadian poet, novelist, essayist and documentarian. She was Toronto's third Poet Laureate from September 2009 to November 2012. She was admitted to the Order of Canada in 2017Brett Butler – '' Knee Deep in Paradise'' *

Ann Chamberlin Ann Chamberlin is an American writer of historical novels. Her website states that the "purpose of storytelling . . . is to support positions in exact opposition to the views prevailing in a culture's powerhouses, whatever those views happen to b ...

– ''Sofia; The Sultan's Daughter'' *

Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels have b ...

– ''

Executive Orders ''Executive Orders'' is a techno-thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and released on July 1, 1996. It picks up immediately where the final events of '' Debt of Honor'' (1994) left off, and features now- U.S. President Jack Ryan as he tries t ...

'' *

Mary Higgins Clark Mary Higgins Clark (born Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins (December 24, 1927 – January 31, 2020) was an American author of suspense novels. Each of her 51 books was a bestseller in the United States and various European countries, and all of he ...

– ''Moonlight Becomes You'' * Joseph Connolly – '' This Is It'' *

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 ...

– ''The Bloody Ground'' and '' Enemy of God'' * Douglas Coupland – '' Polaroids from the Dead'' *

Amanda Craig Amanda Craig (born 1959) is a British novelist, critic and journalist. She was a recipient of the Catherine Pakenham Award. Early life Born in South Africa, Craig grew up in Italy before moving to London. Her parents were British journalist, ...

– '' A Vicious Circle'' *

Robert Crais Robert Crais (pronounced ) (born June 20, 1953) is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as '' Hill Street Blues'', ''Cagney & Lacey'', '' Quincy'', '' Miami Vice'' and ''L.A. ...

– '' Sunset Express'' *

John Darnton John Darnton (born November 20, 1941) is an American journalist who wrote for the '' New York Times''. He is a two-time winner of the Polk Award, of which he is now the curator, and the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. He also moo ...

– ''

Neanderthal Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an Extinction, extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ag ...

'' * Donald Davidson – '' The Big Ballad Jamboree'' * Seamus Deane – ''

Reading in the Dark ''Reading in the Dark'' is a novel written by Seamus Deane in 1996. The novel is set in Derry, Northern Ireland and extends from February 1945 through July 1971. The book won the 1996 ''Guardian'' Fiction Prize and the 1996 South Bank Show Ann ...

'' *

Stephen R. Donaldson Stephen Reeder Donaldson (born May 13, 1947) is an American fantasy, science fiction and mystery novelist, most famous for ''The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant'', his ten-novel fantasy series. His work is characterized by psychological complexit ...

– '' The Gap into Ruin: This Day All Gods Die'' * Ben Elton – ''

Popcorn Popcorn (also called popped corn, popcorns or pop-corn) is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated; the same names also refer to the foodstuff produced by the expansion. A popcorn kernel's strong hull contains the se ...

'' * Steve Erickson – '' Amnesiascope'' *

Helen Fielding Helen Fielding (born 19 February 1958) is an English novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of the fictional character Bridget Jones, and a sequence of novels and films beginning with the life of a thirty something singleton in Lo ...

– '' Bridget Jones's Diary'' *

Jon Fosse Jon Olav Fosse (born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author and dramatist. Biography Jon Fosse was born in Haugesund, Norway. A serious accident at age seven brought him close to death; the experience significantly influenced his adulthood wr ...

– ''

Melancholy II ''Melancholy II'', original title ''Melancholia II'', is a 1996 novella by the Norwegian writer Jon Fosse. It is set in 1902, on the day of the Norwegian artist Lars Hertervig's death, and is told from the perspective of Hertervig's fictitious sis ...

(Melancholia II)'' *

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, gra ...

**'' The Sandman: The Kindly Ones'' (graphic novel; ninth in '' The Sandman'' series) **'' The Sandman: The Wake'' (graphic novel; tenth in '' The Sandman'' series) * Mavis Gallant – ''Selected Stories'' * John Gardner – '' Cold'' *

Richard Garfinkle Richard Garfinkle (born 1961) is an American List of science fiction authors, writer of science fiction. He is best known as the author of ''Celestial Matters'', a novel published by Tor Books, which won the Compton Crook Award in 1997. Garfinkle ...

– ''

Celestial Matters ''Celestial Matters'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Richard Garfinkle, set in an alternate universe with different laws of physics. Published by Tor Books in 1996, it is a work of alternate history and elaborated "alternate science" ...

'' * Alex Garland – '' The Beach'' *

William Golding Sir William Gerald Golding (19 September 1911 – 19 June 1993) was a British novelist, playwright, and poet. Best known for his debut novel '' Lord of the Flies'' (1954), he published another twelve volumes of fiction in his lifetime. In 198 ...

– '' The Double Tongue'' * John Grisham – '' The Runaway Jury'' and '' Hackers'' (short stories) *

James L. Halperin James L. Halperin (born October 31, 1952) is an American businessman and author, who is the co-founder and co-chairman of Heritage Auctions, now the largest American auction house with 2022 sales in excess of $1.45 billion. In 1985 Halperin author ...

– '' The Truth Machine'' * Colin Harrison – ''

Manhattan Nocturne ''Manhattan Nocturne'' is a crime novel by Colin Harrison set in Manhattan, first published in 1996. The novel was published in America in hardcover by Crown and remains in print by Picador in trade paperback. Fifteen foreign, paperback, and boo ...

'' *

Elisabeth Harvor Erica Elisabeth Arendt Harvor () is a Canadian novelist and poet who lives in Ottawa, Ontario. She was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, where she grew up on the Kingston Peninsula. She enrolled at Concordia University in 1983, receiving an MA ...

– ''Let Me Be the One'' (short stories) * Nancy Huston – ''The Goldberg Variations'' *

Tama Janowitz Tama Janowitz (born April 12, 1956) is an American novelist and a short story writer. She is often referenced as one of the main "brat pack" authors, along with Bret Easton Ellis and Jay McInerney. Life Her parents, psychiatrist Julian Janowi ...

– ''

By the Shores of Gitchee Gumee ''By the Shores of Gitchee Gumee'' (1996) is a satirical novel by Tama Janowitz about the Slivenowiczes, a trailer park trash family who are forced to leave their home in a polluted swamp area in upstate New York (as Maud claims on p. 194 ...

'' * Matt Jones – '' Bad Therapy'' *

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 ...

**'' Desperation'' **'' The Green Mile'' **'' The Regulators'' *

Dean R. Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and satire. Many of his books have appeared on ''The New ...

– '' Intensity'' *

Michael P. Kube-McDowell Michael Paul Kube-McDowell (born August 29, 1954), also known as Michael McDowell or Michael P. McDowell, is an American science fiction and non-fiction author. Background Born Michael Paul McDowell on August 29, 1954 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvani ...

– '' Before the Storm'' **'' Shield of Lies'' **'' Tyrant's Test'' * Caroline Lamarche – ''Le Jour du chien (The Day of the Dog)'' *

Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in ...

– ''

The Gun Seller ''The Gun Seller'' (1996) is the first novel by English actor, musician, comedian, and writer Hugh Laurie. It concerns former Scots Guards officer Thomas Lang and his reluctant involvement in a conspiracy involving international arms dealers, ...

'' *

John le Carré David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 193112 December 2020), better known by his pen name John le Carré ( ), was a British and Irish author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. ...

– ''

The Tailor of Panama ''The Tailor of Panama'' is a 1996 novel by British writer John le Carré. A 2001 film was released based on the novel. Plot Harry Pendel is a British expatriate living in Panama City and running his own successful bespoke tailoring busine ...

'' * Paul Leonard – ''

Speed of Flight ''Speed of Flight'' is an original novel written by Paul Leonard and based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It features the Third Doctor, Jo and Mike Yates. Plot The TARDIS lands on Nooma, a world ...

'' * Steve Lyons – '' Killing Ground'' * George R. R. Martin – '' A Game of Thrones'' *

David A. McIntee David A. McIntee (born 31 December 1968) is a British writer. Career McIntee has written many spin-off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', as well as one each based on ''Final Destination'' and '' Space: 19 ...

– '' The Shadow of Weng-Chiang'' * Terry McMillan – '' How Stella Got Her Groove Back'' * Javier Marías – '' When I Was Mortal'' (''Cuando fui mortal'', short stories) *

Vladimir Megre Vladimir Megre ( rus, Влади́мир Никола́евич Мегре́; né Puzakov; rus, Пузако́в; born 23 July 1950) is a Russian entrepreneur and writer best known as the author of the ''Ringing Cedars of Russia'' (also known a ...

– ''Anastasiya'' * Lawrence Miles – '' Christmas on a Rational Planet'' * Rohinton Mistry – ''

A Fine Balance ''A Fine Balance'' is the second novel by Rohinton Mistry, published by McClelland and Stewart in 1995. Set in "an unidentified city" in India, initially in 1975 and later in 1984 during the turmoil of The Emergency, the book focuses on four ...

'' *

Shani Mootoo Shani Mootoo, writer, visual artist and video maker, was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1957 to Trinidadian parents. She grew up in Trinidad and relocated at the age of 19 to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She currently lives in Toronto, Ont ...

– ''Cereus Blooms at Night'' *

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 ...

– ''

We Were the Mulvaneys ''We Were the Mulvaneys'' is a novel written by Joyce Carol Oates, and was published in 1996. ''We Were the Mulvaneys'' was featured in Oprah's Book Club in January 2001. The novel chronicles the Mulvaneys, a seemingly perfect family living in ...

'' *

Daniel O'Mahony Daniel O'Mahony (born 24 July 1973) is a half-British half-Irish author, born in Croydon. He is the oldest of five children, his siblings including Eoin O'Mahony of the band Hamfatter, and Madeleine O'Mahony, who has designed and made hats for Ca ...

– ''

The Man in the Velvet Mask ''The Man in the Velvet Mask'' is an original novel written by Daniel O'Mahony and based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The novel features the First Doctor and Dodo. The story is set in an alternat ...

'' * Kate Orman – '' Return of the Living Dad'' and '' Sleepy'' *

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 adu ...

– '' Fight Club'' * Lance Parkin – '' Cold Fusion'' and '' Just War'' * Marc Platt – ''

Downtime The term downtime is used to refer to periods when a system is unavailable. The unavailability is the proportion of a time-span that a system is unavailable or offline. This is usually a result of the system failing to function because of an un ...

'' * Terry Pratchett – '' Feet of Clay'' and '' Hogfather'' *

Qiu Miaojin Qiu Miaojin (; 29 May 1969 – 25 June 1995), also romanized as Chiu Miao-chin, was a Taiwanese queer novelist. Qiu's fictional works are "frequently cited as classics", and her unapologetically lesbian sensibility has had a profound and la ...

(posthumous) – ''Last Words from Montmartre'' *

James Redfield James Redfield is an American author, lecturer, screenwriter, and film producer. He is notable for his 1993 novel ''The Celestine Prophecy''. Biography Redfield grew up in a rural area near Birmingham, Alabama. He studied Eastern philosophie ...

– '' The Tenth Insight'' * Justin Richards – '' The Sands of Time'' * Gareth Roberts **''

The English Way of Death ''The English Way of Death'' is an original novel written by Gareth Roberts and based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It features the Fourth Doctor, Romana II and K-9. It takes place immediately af ...

'' **''

The Plotters ''The Plotters'' is an original novel written by Gareth Roberts and based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It features the First Doctor, Ian Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived ...

'' * Mary Rosenblum – '' Synthesis & Other Virtual Realities'' * Kristine Kathryn Rusch – '' The New Rebellion'' * Gary Russell – ''

The Scales of Injustice ''The Scales of Injustice'' is a Virgin Missing Adventures original novel written by Gary Russell based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It features the Third Doctor, Liz Shaw and UNIT. Plot The Doc ...

'' *

Jeff Shaara Jeffrey M. "Jeff" Shaara (born February 21, 1952) is an American novelist and the son of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Shaara. Biography Jeffrey Shaara was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and grew up in Tallahassee, Florida. He graduated ...

– '' Gods and Generals'' *

Michael Slade Michael Slade (born 1947, in Lethbridge, Alberta) is the pen name of Canadian novelist Jay Clarke, a lawyer who has participated in more than 100 criminal cases and who specializes in criminal insanity. Background Before Clarke entered law school ...

– ''

Zombie A zombie ( Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in w ...

'' and ''Evil Eye'' * Michael Stackpole **'' The Krytos Trap'' **'' Rogue Squadron'' **'' Wedge's Gamble'' * Dave Stone – ''

Death and Diplomacy ''Death and Diplomacy'' is an original novel written by Dave Stone and based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It features the Seventh Doctor, Bernice, Chris Chris is a short form of various names ...

'' *

Graham Swift Graham Colin Swift FRSL (born 4 May 1949) is an English writer. Born in London, England, he was educated at Dulwich College, London, Queens' College, Cambridge, and later the University of York. Career Some of Swift's books have been filmed ...

– '' Last Orders'' *

Guy Vanderhaeghe Guy Clarence Vanderhaeghe (born April 5, 1951) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer, best known for his Western novel trilogy, '' The Englishman's Boy'', ''The Last Crossing'', and ''A Good Man'' set in the 19th-century American and Can ...

– '' The Englishman's Boy'' *

David Foster Wallace David Foster Wallace (February 21, 1962 – September 12, 2008) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and university professor of English and creative writing. Wallace is widely known for his 1996 novel '' Infinite Jest'', whi ...

– '' Infinite Jest'' * Monika Maron – ''

Animal Triste Animal Triste, published in 1996, is a German-language novel by author Monika Maron, which took its name from a Latin phrase: ''"Triste est omne animal post coitum, præter mulierem gallumque."'' meaning "Every animal is sad after coitus except t ...

Children and young people

* K.A. Applegate - '' Animorphs'' series *

Marion Zimmer Bradley Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of fantasy, historical fantasy, science fiction, and science fantasy novels, and is best known for the Arthurian fiction novel ''The Mists of Avalon'' an ...

(with Rosemary Edghill) – '' Witchlight'' *

James C. Christensen James C. Christensen (September 26, 1942 – January 8, 2017) was an American illustrator and painter of religious and fantasy art. Christensen was born and raised in Culver City, California.Taylor, Scott and Walch, Tad"Of fantasy and faith: LDS ...

(with Renwick St. James and

Alan Dean Foster Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts. Career ''Star Wars'' Foster was the ghost ...

) – ''

Voyage of the Basset ''Voyage of the Basset'' is a fantasy novel published in 1996. It was written and illustrated by James C. Christensen in collaboration with Renwick St. James and Alan Dean Foster. It is about a widowed Victorian era professor, Algernon Aisling, ...

'' *

Anne Fine Anne Fine OBE FRSL (born 7 December 1947) is an English writer. Although best known for children's books, she also writes for adults. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and she was appointed an OBE in 2003. Fine has written more ...

– '' The Tulip Touch'' * Elaine Forrestal – ''

Someone Like Me "Someone like Me" is a song by British girl group Atomic Kitten. Released on 29 March 2004 as the third and final single from their third studio album, '' Ladies Night'' (2003), the piano-driven track was issued as a double A-side with " Righ ...

'' * Mem Fox – '' Boo to a Goose'' * Jeri Freedman (with J. F. Rivkin) – ''

Season of Storms ''Season of Storms'' (Polish original title: ''Sezon burz'') is the sixth novel and eighth overall book in the '' Witcher'' series written by Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski, first published in Poland in 2013. It is not a sequel to the o ...

'' *

Rumer Godden Margaret Rumer Godden (10 December 1907 – 8 November 1998) was an English author of more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably ''Black Narcissus'' in 1947 and '' The River'' in ...

**'' The Little Chair'' **'' Premlata and the Festival of Lights'' **'' Cockcrow to Starlight: A Day Full of Poetry'' (anthology) * Mark Helprin (with

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 al ...

) – '' A City in Winter'' *

E. T. A. Hoffmann Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic and artist. Penrith Goff, "E.T.A. Hoffmann" in ...

(with Roberto Innocenti) – ''

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaik ...

'' * Lyll Becerra de Jenkins - '' So Loud a Silence'' * Julius Lester – '' Sam and the Tigers: A New Telling of Little Black Sambo'' * Anne McCaffrey – '' No One Noticed the Cat'' *

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 storytelli ...

– '' The Butterfly Lion'' * Jim Murphy – '' A YOUNG PATRIOT: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy'' * Andre Norton (with Martin H. Greenberg and Mark Hess) – '' Catfantastic IV'' *

(with

Barry Moser Barry Moser (born 1940) is an American artist and educator, known as a printmaker specializing in wood engravings, and an illustrator of numerous works of literature. He is also the owner and operator of the Pennyroyal Press, an engraving and smal ...

) – '' First Love: A Gothic Tale'' * Iona Opie – '' My Very First Mother Goose'' *

Philip Pullman Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman (born 19 October 1946) is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy '' His Dark Materials'' and '' The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ'', a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, ''T ...

– ''

The Subtle Knife ''The Subtle Knife'' is a young-adult fantasy novel published in 1997 and the second book in Philip Pullman's ''His Dark Materials'' trilogy. The novel continues the adventures of Lyra Belacqua (now known as Lyra Silvertongue) recounted in th ...

'' (second in ''

His Dark Materials ''His Dark Materials'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman consisting of '' Northern Lights'' (1995; published as ''The Golden Compass'' in North America), '' The Subtle Knife'' (1997), and '' The Amber Spyglass'' (2000). It follo ...

'' trilogy) * Alan Schroeder – '' Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman'' * Diane Stanley – ''

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on ...

'' * Jean Ure - '' Skinny Melon and Me''

Drama

Jeff Baron Jeff Baron is an American novelist, playwright and screenwriter currently living in Manhattan. He is the author of ''I Represent Sean Rosen'' and ''Sean Rosen Is Not for Sale'', published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins and the ''Electro-Pup'' seri ...

– ''

Visiting Mr. Green ''Visiting Mr. Green'' is a stage play by American author Jeff Baron that has been performed around the world. Storyline Eighty-six-year-old widower Mr. Green is almost hit by a car driven by young corporate executive Ross Gardiner. Found guil ...

'' * Nick Enright – ''

Blackrock BlackRock, Inc. is an American multi-national investment company based in New York City. Founded in 1988, initially as a risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with trill ...

'' *

Eve Ensler V, formerly Eve Ensler (; born May 25, 1953), is an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist. V is best known for her play ''The Vagina Monologues''.

– ''

'' *

Pam Gems Pam Gems (1 August 1925 – 13 May 2011) was an English playwright. The author of numerous original plays, as well as of adaptations of works by European playwrights of the past, Gems is best known for the 1978 musical play '' Piaf''. Person ...

– '' Stanley'' * Jenny Kemp – '' The Black Sequin Dress'' *

Ayub Khan-Din Ayub Khan Din (born 1961) is a British writer and actor. He wrote the BAFTA, BIFA and London Film Critics Circle award-winning film '' East Is East'' (1999), adapted from his 1996 Olivier-nominated play of the same name. His 2008 comedy play ...

– '' East is East'' *

Martin McDonagh Martin Faranan McDonagh (; born 26 March 1970) is a British-Irish playwright, screenwriter, producer, and director. Born and brought up in London, he is the son of Irish parents. He is known as one of the most acclaimed modern playwrights whose ...

– '' The Beauty Queen of Leenane'' * Mark Ravenhill – ''

Shopping and Fucking ''Shopping and Fucking'' (sometimes billed as ''Shopping and F**king'') is a 1996 play by English playwright Mark Ravenhill. It was Ravenhill's first full-length play. It received its first public reading at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 19 ...

'' * Wallace Shawn – '' The Designated Mourner'' *

Joshua Sobol Joshua Sobol ( he, יהושע סובול; born 24 August 1939), is an Israeli playwright, writer, and theatre director. Biography Joshua Sobol was born in Tel Mond. His mother's family fled the pogroms in Europe in 1922 and his father's family im ...

– '' Alma'' * Shelagh Stephenson – ''

The Memory of Water ''The Memory of Water'' is a comedy written by English playwright Shelagh Stephenson, first staged at Hampstead Theatre in 1996. It won the 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Characters Vi Vi is the mother of the three sisters a ...

'' *

Botho Strauß Botho Strauß (; born 2 December 1944) is a German playwright, novelist and essayist. Biography Botho Strauß's father was a chemist. After finishing his secondary education, Strauß studied German, History of the Theatre and Sociology in Co ...

– '' Ithaka'' * Enda Walsh – ''Disco Pigs'' * Peter Whelan – '' The Herbal Bed'' * Roy Williams – ''The No Boys Cricket Club''

Poetry

Non-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 articulat ...

(posthumous) – '' Nonconformity'' (essay, written 1953) * Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, Carlos Alberto Montaner and Álvaro Vargas Llosa – '' Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot'' (essay) * Stephen Ambrose – ''

Undaunted Courage ''Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West'' (), written by Stephen Ambrose, is a 1996 biography of Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The book is based on journals and letters ...

'' *

Bruce Bawer Theodore Bruce Bawer (born October 31, 1956) is an American writer who has been a resident of Norway since 1999. He is a literary, film, and cultural critic and a novelist and poet, who has also written about gay rights, Christianity, and Islam. ...

(editor) – '' Beyond Queer'' *

John Berendt John Berendt (born December 5, 1939) is an American author, known for writing the best-selling non-fiction book ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'', which was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction. Biography Ber ...

– ''

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published in 1994 and follows the story of an antiques dealer on trial for the murder of a male prostitute. Subtitled ''A Savannah S ...

'' * David Chalmers – ''

The Conscious Mind ''The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory'' was published in 1996, and is the first book written by David Chalmers, an Australian philosopher specialising in philosophy of mind. Though the book has been greatly influential, Chalm ...

: In Search of a Fundamental Theory'' *

Norman Davies Ivor Norman Richard Davies (born 8 June 1939) is a Welsh-Polish historian, known for his publications on the history of Europe, Poland and the United Kingdom. He has a special interest in Central and Eastern Europe and is UNESCO Professor a ...

– '' Europe: A History'' *

Richard Dawkins Richard Dawkins (born 26 March 1941) is a British evolutionary biologist and author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford and was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford from 1995 to 2008. An ...

– '' Climbing Mount Improbable'' *

Antonia Fraser Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser, (' Pakenham; born 27 August 1932) is a British author of history, novels, biographies and detective fiction. She is the widow of the 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Harold Pinter (1930–2008), and ...

– '' The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605'' *

Daniel Goleman Daniel Goleman (born March 7, 1946) is an author, psychologist, and science journalist. For twelve years, he wrote for ''The New York Times'', reporting on the brain and behavioral sciences. His 1995 book ''Emotional Intelligence'' was on ''Th ...

– ''Emotional Intelligence'' * Denis Guedj – '' Numbers: The Universal Language'' *

Jennifer Hanson Jennifer Kathleen Hanson (born August 10, 1973) is an American country music artist, songwriter and record producer. She made her artist debut in 2002 with the release of her single “ Beautiful Goodbye”. The song went on to become a top 20 hi ...

– '' The Real Freshman Handbook'' *

Samuel P. Huntington Samuel Phillips Huntington (April 18, 1927December 24, 2008) was an American political scientist, adviser, and academic. He spent more than half a century at Harvard University, where he was director of Harvard's Center for International Affairs ...

– ''The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order'' * Richard Mabey – ''Flora Britannica'' * Howard Marks – '' Mr Nice'' * Dylan Morgan – ''The Principles of

Hypnotherapy Hypnotherapy is a type of mind–body intervention in which hypnosis is used to create a state of focused attention and increased suggestibility in the treatment of a medical or psychological disorder or concern. Popularized by 17th and 18th c ...

'' * Anne Mullens – '' Timely Death'' * Denise Schmandt-Besserat – ''How Writing Came About'' * Arun Shourie – '' Missionaries in India'' *

Alexander Skutch Alexander Frank Skutch (May 20, 1904 – May 12, 2004) was a naturalist and writer. He published numerous scientific papers and books about birds and several books on philosophy. He is best remembered ornithologically for his pioneering work o ...

– ''The Minds of Birds'' *

Alessandro Vezzosi Alessandro Vezzosi is an Italian art critic, Leonardo scholar, artist, expert on interdisciplinary studies and creative museology, he is also the author of hundreds of exhibits, publications and conferences, in Italy and abroad (from the United S ...

– '' Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance''

Births

* December 25 - Elvira Natali, Indonesian author and actress * November 13 - Zeki Majed, Kurdish filmmaker and poet

Deaths

January 5 Events Pre-1600 * 1477 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France. 1601–1900 *1675 – Battle of Colmar: The French a ...

–

Lincoln Kirstein Lincoln Edward Kirstein (May 4, 1907 – January 5, 1996) was an American writer, impresario, art connoisseur, philanthropist, and cultural figure in New York City, noted especially as co-founder of the New York City Ballet. He developed and s ...

, American writer and impresario (born 1907) *

January 8 Events Pre-1600 * 307 – Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying. * 871 – Æthelred I and Alfred the Great lead a West Saxon army to repel an inv ...

–

Howard Taubman Hyman Howard Taubman (July 4, 1907 – January 8, 1996) was an American music critic, theater critic, and author. Biography Born in Manhattan, Taubman attended DeWitt Clinton High School and then won a four-year scholarship to Cornell Universit ...

, American author and critic (born 1907) *

January 11 Events Pre-1600 * 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence. * 630 – Conquest of Mecca: The prophet Muha ...

–

Harold Walter Bailey Sir Harold Walter Bailey, (16 December 1899 – 11 January 1996), who published as H. W. Bailey, was an English scholar of Khotanese, Sanskrit, and the comparative study of Iranian languages. Life Bailey was born in Devizes, Wiltshire, an ...

, English linguistics scholar (born 1899) *

January 16 Events Pre-1600 * 27 BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus is granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire. * 378 – General Siyaj K'ak' conquers Tikal, enlarging the domain of King Sp ...

–

Kaye Webb Kathleen ("Kaye") Webb (26 January 1914 – 16 January 1996), was a British editor and publisher. She was a recipient of the Eleanor Farjeon Award. Early life and education Kathleen Webb was born in Chiswick, London, in 1914, the second of ...

, English publisher and journalist (born 1914) *

January 21 Events Pre-1600 * 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa. * 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when ...

–

Efua Sutherland Efua Theodora Sutherland (born 27 June 1924 – 2 January 1996) was a Ghanaian playwright, director, dramatist, children's author, poet, educationalist, researcher, child advocate, and cultural activist. Her works include the plays ''Foriwa'' ...

, Ghanaian dramatist, poet and children's author (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 hold ...

) *

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 bec ...

–

Barbara Skelton Barbara Olive Skelton (26 June 1916 – 27 January 1996) was an English memoirist, novelist and socialite. Background Skelton was born at The Croft, Ellington Road, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, elder daughter of Eric George Skelton, who had been a Maj ...

, English fiction writer, memoirist and literary figure (born 1916) *

January 28 Events Pre-1600 * 98 – On the death of Nerva, Trajan is declared Roman emperor in Cologne, the seat of his government in lower Germany. * 814 – The death of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, brings about the accession ...

** Jerry Siegel, American

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and g ...

(born 1914) **

Joseph Brodsky Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (; russian: link=no, Иосиф Александрович Бродский ; 24 May 1940 – 28 January 1996) was a Russian and American poet and essayist. Born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), USSR in 1940, ...

, Russian-born poet and essayist, Nobel Prize laureate (myocardial infarction, born 1940) *

February 11 Events Pre-1600 *660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. * 55 – The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman empire, on the eve of his coming ...

** Bob Shaw, Northern Irish science fiction writer (born 1931) **

Amelia Rosselli Amelia Rosselli (28 March 1930 – 11 February 1996) was an Italian poet. She was the daughter of Marion Catherine Cave, an English political activist, and Carlo Rosselli, who was a hero of the Italian anti-Fascist Resistance—founder, with ...

, Italian poet (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 b ...

) *

February 12 Events Pre-1600 * 1404 – The Italian professor Galeazzo di Santa Sophie performed the first post-mortem autopsy for the purposes of teaching and demonstration at the Heiligen–Geist Spital in Vienna. * 1429 – English forces und ...

– Ryōtarō Shiba, Japanese novelist (born 1923) *

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 &n ...

– Cathal Ó Sándair, Irish-language novelist (born

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

) *

March 3 Events Pre-1600 * 473 – Gundobad (nephew of Ricimer) nominates Glycerius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire. * 724 – Empress Genshō abdicates the throne in favor of her nephew Shōmu who becomes emperor of Japan. *1575 ...

** Marguerite Duras, French dramatist and film director (born 1914) **

Léo Malet Léo Malet (7 March 1909 – 3 March 1996) was a French crime novelist and surrealist. Biography Leo Malet was born in Montpellier. He had little formal education and began work as a cabaret singer at "La Vache Enragee" in Montmartre, Paris in 19 ...

, French crime novelist and surrealist (born 1909) *

March 15 Events Pre-1600 * 474 BC – Roman consul Aulus Manlius Vulso celebrates an ovation for concluding the war against Veii and securing a forty years' truce. * 44 BC – The assassination of Julius Caesar takes place. * 493 &ndash ...

–

Wolfgang Koeppen Wolfgang Arthur Reinhold Koeppen (23 June 1906 – 15 March 1996) was a German novelist and one of the best known German authors of the postwar period. Life Koeppen was born out of wedlock in Greifswald, Pomerania, to Marie Köppen, a seamstress ...

, German novelist (born 1906) * March 18 **

Jacquetta Hawkes Jacquetta is a feminine given name which may refer to: * Jacquetta of Luxembourg Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Dowager Duchess of Bedford and Countess Rivers (1415 or 1416 – 30 May 1472) was a prominent, though often overlooked, figure in the War ...

(née Hopkins), English writer and archeologist (born

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

) **

Odysseas Elytis Odysseas Elytis ( el, Οδυσσέας Ελύτης , pen name of Odysseas Alepoudellis, el, Οδυσσέας Αλεπουδέλλης; 2 November 1911 – 18 March 1996) was a Greek poet, man of letters, essayist and translator, regarded as th ...

, Greek writer and Nobel Prize laureate (born

1911 A notable ongoing event was the race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * ...

) *

March 22 Events Pre-1600 * 106 – Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea. * 235 – Roman emperor Severus Alexander is murdered, marking the start of the Crisis of the Third Century. * 871 – Æthelr ...

Claude Mauriac Claude Mauriac (25 April 1914 – 22 March 1996) was a French author and journalist. He was born in Paris, the eldest son of the author François Mauriac. Mauriac was the personal secretary of Charles de Gaulle from 1944 to 1949, before becoming ...

, French novelist and journalist (born 1914) ** Ian Stephens, Canadian poet (year of birth not known) *

March 29 Events Pre-1600 * 845 – Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving. * 1430 – The Ottoman Empire under Murad II captures Thessalonica from the Republic of ...

– Frank Daniel, Czech-born screenwriter, director, and teacher (born 1926) *

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� ...

–

Dario Bellezza Dario Bellezza (5 September 1944 – 31 March 1996) was an Italian poet, author and playwright. He won the Viareggio, Gatto, and Montale prizes. Biography Dario Bellezza was born in Rome on 5 September 1944. After his studies at a ''liceo class ...

, Italian poet and dramatist (HIV, born

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in ...

) * April 16 – Leila Mackinlay, British romantic novelist (born

) *

April 18 Events Pre-1600 * 796 – King Æthelred I of Northumbria is murdered in Corbridge by a group led by his ealdormen, Ealdred and Wada. The ''patrician'' Osbald is crowned, but abdicates within 27 days. *1428 – Peace of Ferrara bet ...

– Kalim Siddiqui, Pakistani-born English writer and Islamic activist (born 1931) * April 20 –

Christopher Robin Milne Christopher Robin Milne (21 August 1920 – 20 April 1996) was an English author and bookseller and the only child of author A. A. Milne. As a child, he was the basis of the character Christopher Robin in his father's Winnie-the-Pooh stories a ...

, English writer and bookseller (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 ...

) * April 22 – Erma Bombeck, American humorist and writer (born

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...

) *

April 23 Events Pre-1600 *215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. * 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in sout ...

– P. L. Travers, Australian-born children's writer (born 1899) *

May 2 Events Pre-1600 * 1194 – King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. *1230 – William de Braose is hanged by Prince Llywelyn the Great. * 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is arrested and imprison ...

– Emile Habibi, Palestinian Israeli writer and politician (born

) *

May 8 Events Pre-1600 *453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin. * 413 – Emperor Honorius signs an ...

– Larry Levis, American poet, author, and critic (born

1946 Events January * January 6 - The first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into four occupation zones. * January 10 ** The ...

) *

May 24 Events Pre-1600 * 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom. * 1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. * 1276 – Magnus ...

– Joseph Mitchell, American journalist (born 1908) *

May 26 Events Pre-1600 * 17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe. * 451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sasanian Empir ...

Ovidiu Papadima Ovidiu Papadima (June 23, 1909, Sinoe, Constanța County – May 26, 1996, Bucharest) was a Romanian literary critic, folklorist, and essayist. He studied at the Alexandru Papiu Ilarian High School in Târgu Mureș, graduating at the top of his ...

, Romanian critic and essayist (born 1909) ** Margaret Douglas-Home, English writer and musician (born 1906) * May 31 – Timothy Leary, American writer (born

) * June 2 – Leon Garfield, English children's author (born

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in Brazil. ** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' bre ...

) * June 14 – Gesualdo Bufalino, Italian novelist (born

) * June 15 – Fitzroy Maclean, Scottish political writer, autobiographer and diplomat (born

) *

July 10 Events Pre-1600 *138 – Emperor Hadrian of Rome dies of heart failure at his residence on the bay of Naples, Baiae; he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina. * 645 – Isshi Incident: Prince ...

– Eno Raud, Estonian children's author (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 Bazhano ...

) * July 22 –

Jessica Mitford Jessica Lucy "Decca" Treuhaft (née Freeman-Mitford, later Romilly; 11 September 1917 – 23 July 1996) was an English author, one of the six aristocratic Mitford sisters noted for their sharply conflicting politics. Jessica married her secon ...

, Anglo-American author, journalist and campaigner (born 1917) *

September 21 Events Pre-1600 * 455 – Emperor Avitus enters Rome with a Gallic army and consolidates his power. *1170 – The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Norman invaders. *1217 – Livonian Crusade: The Estonian leader Lembitu and Livonian lead ...

– Henri Nouwen, Dutch priest, theologian and author (born

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

) * September 29 – Shusaku Endo (遠藤周作), Japanese novelist (born 1923) * October 16 –

Eric Malpass Eric Lawson Malpass (14 November 1910 – 16 October 1996) was an English novelist noted for witty descriptions of rural family life, notably of his creation, the extended Pentecost family. He also wrote historical fiction ranging from the late M ...

, English novelist (born

) * October 24 – Sorley Maclean, Gaelic poet (born

) *

November 27 Events Pre-1600 *AD 25 – Luoyang is declared capital of the Eastern Han dynasty by Emperor Guangwu of Han. * 176 – Emperor Marcus Aurelius grants his son Commodus the rank of " Imperator" and makes him Supreme Commander of the ...

– Lili Berger, Yiddish writer, antifascist militant and literary critic (born 1916) * December 7 – José Donoso, Chilean writer (born

) *

December 9 Events Pre-1600 * 536 – Gothic War: The Byzantine general Belisarius enters Rome unopposed; the Gothic garrison flees the capital. * 730 – Battle of Marj Ardabil: The Khazars annihilate an Umayyad army and kill its commander, ...

– Diana Morgan, Welsh playwright and screenwriter (born 1908) * December 12 – Vance Packard, American journalist and social critic (born 1914) *

December 16 Events Pre-1600 * 714 – Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald, while his widow Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom. * ...

–

Quentin Bell Quentin Claudian Stephen Bell (19 August 1910 – 16 December 1996) was an English art historian and author. Early life Bell was born in London, the son of Clive Bell and Vanessa Bell (née Stephen), and the nephew of Virginia Woolf (née Ste ...

, English biographer and art historian (born

) * December 20 –

Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ex ...

, American astronomer, astrophysicist and writer (born 1934) * December 21 – Margret Rey, American author and illustrator (born 1906)

Awards

* Nobel Prize for Literature: Wislawa Szymborska * Camões Prize:

Eduardo Lourenço Eduardo Lourenço de Faria GCSE, GCIH (23 May 1923 – 1 December 2020), best known as Eduardo Lourenço, was a Portuguese essayist, professor, critic, philosopher and writer. Early life Coming from a small village in Beira Interior, he is ...

Australia

* The Australian/Vogel Literary Award: Bernard Cohen, ''The Blindman's Hat'' * C. J. Dennis Prize for Poetry:

Peter Bakowski Peter Bakowski (born 15 October 1954) is an Australian poet. His poems often use deceptively simple words and images, reminiscent at times of words in a child's picture book, but with some stylistic similarities to the work of writers such as C ...

, ''In the Human Night'' *

Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry The Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry is awarded annually as part of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards for a book of collected poems or for a single poem of substantial length published in book form.Eric Beach Eric Beach (born 1947), is a New Zealand and Australian poet, playwright, and short story writer. Born in New Zealand, Beach has lived in Tasmania and in Victoria since 1972. He is active in the Australian Performance Poetry scene, performing ...

, ''Weeping for Lost Babylon'' * Mary Gilmore Prize:

Jordie Albiston Jordie Albiston (30 September 1961 – 28 February 2022) was an Australian poet. Early life Jordie Albiston grew up in Melbourne, the second of four children. She studied music at the Victorian College of the Arts before completing a doct ...

, ''Nervous Arcs'' *

Miles Franklin Award The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–1 ...

: Christopher Koch, ''

Highways to a War ''Highways to a War'' is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Christopher Koch. In an interview in 2000, Koch noted that this novel, and his later work ''Out of Ireland'', formed a diptych called ''Beware of the Past''. Plo ...

Canada

Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to a writer who has not yet published his or her first book. Formerly restricted to writers under age 35, the age li ...

* Giller Prize for Canadian Fiction:

: – '' Alias Grace'' *See

1996 Governor General's Awards The 1996 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were presented on November 14, 1996. English French {{GovernorGeneralsAwards Governor General's Awards Governor Governor ...

for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards. * Edna Staebler Award for

Creative Non-Fiction Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction or literary journalism or verfabula) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contra ...

: George G. Blackburn, '' The Guns of Normandy''

United Kingdom

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...

, '' Last Orders'' * Carnegie Medal for

children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

: Melvin Burgess, '' Junk'' * James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction:

, ''Last Orders'', and

Alice Thompson Alice Thompson (born in Edinburgh) is a Scottish novelist. Thompson was educated at St George's School, Edinburgh,

, ''Justine'' * James Tait Black Memorial Prize for biography:

Diarmaid MacCulloch Diarmaid Ninian John MacCulloch (; born 31 October 1951) is an English academic and historian, specialising in ecclesiastical history and the history of Christianity. Since 1995, he has been a fellow of St Cross College, Oxford; he was forme ...

, ''

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Hen ...

: A Life'' * Cholmondeley Award: Elizabeth Bartlett,

Dorothy Nimmo Dorothy Nimmo (1932 in Manchester – 24 May 2001) was a British poet, winner of the Cholmondeley Award in 1996. Life Educated in York and Cambridge, Nimmo worked as an actress in London before spending the 1960s in Geneva, returning to England ...

Peter Scupham Peter Scupham (24 February 1933 – 11 June 2022) was a British poet. Life Scupham was born in Bootle on 24 February 1933 to John and Dorothy Scupham. The family moved to Cambridgeshire and he was educated at the Perse School, Cambridge, and St G ...

, Iain Crichton Smith *

Eric Gregory Award The Eric Gregory Award is a literary award given annually by the Society of Authors for a collection by British poets under the age of 30. The award was founded in 1960 by Dr. Eric Gregory to support and encourage young poets. In 2021, the seve ...

: Sue Butler, Cathy Cullis, Jane Griffiths,

Jane Holland Jane Holland (born 17 November 1966 in Ilford, London) is an English poet, novelist and astrologer. She won an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors for her poetry in 1996 and her YA novel ''Witchstruck'', written as Victoria Lamb ...

, Chris Jones, Sinéad Morrissey, Kate Thomas *

, ''A Spell of Winter'' * Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry: Peter Redgrove * Whitbread Best Book Award:

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

, '' The Spirit Level''

United States

* Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize:

Helen Conkling Helen Conkling (born 1933) is an American poet. Her work has appeared in the ''Antioch Review'', '' Georgia Review'', the ''Hudson Review'', ''Chicago Review'', the '' Ohio Review'' and ''Prairie Schooner''. In 1996, she was the recipient of the Ag ...

, ''Red Peony Night'' * Bernard F. Connors Prize for Poetry: John Voiklis, "The Princeling's Apology", and (separately) Sarah Arvio, "Visits from the Seventh" * Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry: Kenneth Koch, ''One Train'' *

Compton Crook Award The Compton Crook Award is presented to the best English language first novel of the year in the field of science fiction, fantasy, or horror by the members of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society at their annual science fiction convention, Balti ...

: Daniel Graham Jr., ''

The Gatekeepers ''The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College'' is a 2002 nonfiction book, written by education reporter Jacques Steinberg, that examines the inner workings of the admissions committee at Wesleyan University. The book exp ...

'' *

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier ...

Neal Stephenson Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, postcyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work e ...

, '' The Diamond Age, or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer'' *

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

Andrea Barrett Andrea Barrett (born November 16, 1954) is an American novelist and short story writer. Her collection ''Ship Fever'' won the 1996 U.S. National Book Award for Fiction, and she received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2001. Her book ''Servants of the Map ...

, ''Ship Fever and Other Stories'' * National Book Critics Circle Award: for Fiction

Gina Berriault Gina Berriault (January 1, 1926 – July 15, 1999), was an American novelist and short story writer. Biography Berriault was born in Long Beach, California, to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. Her father was a freelance writer and Berriault took ...

, '' Women in Their Beds'' * National Book Critics Circle Award: for Poetry William Matthews, '' Time and Money'' * National Book Critics Circle Award: for General nonfiction

Jonathan Harr Jonathan Harr is an American writer, best known for the nonfiction work'' A Civil Action''. Early life and education Jonathan Ensor Harr was born 13 September 1948, in Beloit, Wisconsin, the son of John Ensor Harr (1 August 1926 - 14 November 2004 ...

, '' A Civil Action'' * National Book Critics Circle Award: for Biography Robert Polito, '' Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson'' *

Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of prof ...

: Nicola Griffith, '' Slow River'' * Newbery Medal for

: Karen Cushman, '' The Midwife's Apprentice'' * PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: Richard Ford, ''

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...

'' * Pulitzer Prize for Drama: Jonathan Larson, ''

Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...

'' *

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published durin ...

: Richard Ford – ''

'' *

Pulitzer Prize for Poetry The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually for Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first presented in 1922, and is given for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author, published ...

Jorie Graham Jorie Graham (; born May 9, 1950) is an American poet. The Poetry Foundation called Graham "one of the most celebrated poets of the American post-war generation." She replaced poet Seamus Heaney as Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at ...

: ''The Dream of the Unified Field'' * Wallace Stevens Award: Adrienne Rich * Whiting Awards: Fiction: Anderson Ferrell, Cristina García, Molly Gloss,

Brian Kiteley Brian Kiteley (September 26, 1956) is an American novelist, and writing teacher. Life He grew up in Northampton, Massachusetts. He has had residencies from the MacDowell Colony, Millay, Yaddo, and the Fine Arts Work Center. He has taught at the ...

Chris Offutt Christopher John Offutt (born August 24, 1958) is an American writer. He is most widely known for his short stories and novels, but he has also published three memoirs and multiple nonfiction articles. In 2005, he had a story included in a comic ...

(fiction/nonfiction), Judy Troy, A.J. Verdelle. Nonfiction: Patricia Storace (nonfiction/poetry). Poetry:

Brigit Pegeen Kelly Brigit Pegeen Kelly (1951 – October 14, 2016) was an American poet and teacher. Born in Palo Alto, California, Kelly grew up in southern Indiana and lived much of her adult life in central Illinois. An intensely private woman, little is known ...

, Elizabeth Spires

Elsewhere

International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award ( ga, Duais Liteartha Idirnáisiúnta Bhaile Átha Chliath), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. ...

David Malouf David George Joseph Malouf AO (; born 20 March 1934) is an Australian poet, novelist, short story writer, playwright and librettist. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2008, Malouf has lectured at both the University of Quee ...

, ''

Remembering Babylon ''Remembering Babylon'' is a book by David Malouf, published in 1993. It won the inaugural International Dublin Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Miles Franklin Award. The novel covers themes of isolation, language ...

'' *

Premio Nadal Premio Nadal is a Spanish literary prize awarded annually by the publishing house Ediciones Destino, part of Planeta. It has been awarded every year on 6 January since 1944. The Josep Pla Award for Catalan literature is given at the same ceremo ...

: Pedro Maestre, ''Matando dinosaurios con tirachinas''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1996 In Literature Years of the 20th century in literature