This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2013.

Events

21 January 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 Conr ...

– An annual Orwell Day is instituted. *

26 January Events Pre-1600 * 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph. *1531 – The 6.4–7.1 Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people. *1564 – The Council of Trent ...

– Fleeing Islamist insurgents set fire to library buildings in

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...

containing manuscripts, mostly in Arabic, dating back to 1204. *

7 March Events Pre-1600 * 161 – Marcus Aurelius and L. Commodus (who changes his name to Lucius Verus) become joint emperors of Rome on the death of Antoninus Pius. *1138 – Konrad III von Hohenstaufen was elected king of Germany at Coble ...

– World Book Day becomes a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

-designated event marked in more than 100 countries. *April – J. K. Rowling publishes a detective novel, '' The Cuckoo's Calling'', under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, with the U.K. publisher

Sphere Books Sphere Books is the name of two British paperback publishers. History The original Sphere Books was launched in 1966 by Thomson Corporation. Sphere was sold to Pearson PLC in 1985 and became part of Penguin. The name was retired in 1990. In 19 ...

. The author's identity is revealed by the media in July. * 23 April – World Book Night. *

28 April Events Pre-1600 * 224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V effectively ending the Parthian Empire. * 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory ov ...

– ''

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Its title refers to an observation by the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes (created by Arthur Conan Doyle) in the 1892 short story " ...

'', Simon Stephens' stage adaptation of a novel by

Mark Haddon Mark Haddon (born 28 October 1962) is an English novelist, best known for ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' (2003). He won the Whitbread Award, the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award, Guardian Prize, and a Commonwealth Wr ...

, wins a record seven awards at the 2013 Laurence Olivier Awards in London. *

1 July Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...

– Publisher

Penguin Random House Penguin Random House LLC is an Anglo-American multinational conglomerate publishing company formed on July 1, 2013, from the merger of Penguin Group and Random House. On April 2, 2020, Bertelsmann announced the completion of its purchase ...

is created by a merger. * 3 September – The new

Library of Birmingham A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

, the largest public library in the U.K., is opened by

Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai ( ur, , , pronunciation: ; born 12 July 1997), is a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Awarded when she was 17, she is the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and the second P ...

. Its public spaces are integrated with those of the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

. *October –

Jo Nesbø Jo Nesbø (; born Jon Nesbø; 29 March 1960) is a Norwegian writer, musician, economist, and former football player and reporter. More than 3 million copies of his novels had been sold in Norway as of March 2014; his work has been translated ...

reveals himself as Tom Johansen, author of three forthcoming novels. * 28 November – Three unpublished works by J. D. Salinger (died 2010), including " The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls", are leaked onto the internet.

Anniversaries

* 11 February **50th anniversary of the death of

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for two of her published collections, '' Th ...

in 1963 **200th anniversary of the birth of Harriet Jacobs in 1813 * 28 January – 200th anniversary of the publication of ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...

'' in 1813 *

5 May Events Pre-1600 * 553 – The Second Council of Constantinople begins. *1215 – Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England — part of a chain of events leading to the signing of the Magna Carta. *1260 – Kubl ...

– 200th anniversary of the birth of

Søren Kierkegaard Søren Aabye Kierkegaard ( , , ; 5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on ...

in 1813 *

2 June Events Pre-1600 * 455 – Sack of Rome: Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks. *1098 – First Crusade: The first Siege of Antioch ends as Crusader forces take the city; the second siege began five days later. 1601– ...

– 100th anniversary of the birth of Barbara Pym *

29 June Events Pre-1600 * 226 – Cao Rui succeeds his father as emperor of the Kingdom of Wei. *1149 – Raymond of Poitiers is defeated and killed at the Battle of Inab by Nur ad-Din Zangi. *1194 – Sverre is crowned King of Norway, ...

– 400th anniversary of the burning of the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...

during a production of Shakespeare and Fletcher's ''

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

'' in 1613 *

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

– 25th anniversary of the death of US short story writer Raymond Carver *

7 November Events Pre-1600 * 335 – Athanasius is banished to Trier, on the charge that he prevented a grain fleet from sailing to Constantinople. * 680 – The Sixth Ecumenical Council commences in Constantinople. * 921 – Treaty of Bo ...

– 100th anniversary of the birth of

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

22 November Events Pre-1600 * 498 – After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Palace, while Laurentius is elected Pope in Santa Maria Maggiore. * 845 – The first duke of Brittany, Nominoe, defeats the Frankis ...

– 50th anniversary of the death of

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxle ...

New books

Fiction

* Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – ''

Americanah ''Americanah'' is a 2013 novel by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, for which Adichie won the 2013 U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. ''Americanah'' tells the story of a young Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, who immigrates t ...

'' *

José Eduardo Agualusa José Eduardo Agualusa Alves da Cunha (born December 13, 1960) is an Angolan journalist and writer of Portuguese and Brazilian descent. He studied agronomy and silviculture in Lisbon, Portugal. Currently he resides in the Island of Mozambiqu ...

– ''

A General Theory of Oblivion ''A General Theory of Oblivion'' ( pt, Teoria Geral do Esquecimento) is a 2012 novel by Angolan author José Eduardo Agualusa. The novel recounts the story of a Portuguese woman who locks herself into her apartment in Angola on the brink of in ...

(Teoria Geral do Esquecimento)'' *

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

– ''

The Biology of Luck ''The Biology of Luck'' is a 2013 American novel by Jacob M. Appel. It is a reimagining of James Joyce's '' Ulysses'' and is set in New York City. Plot The novel alternates between the adventures of "New York tour guide Larry Bloom" who work ...

'' * Kate Atkinson – '' Life After Life'' * Dan Brown – '' Inferno'' *

Adam Christopher Adam Christopher McGechan (born 2 February 1978 in Auckland, New Zealand), who writes under the name Adam Christopher, is a New York Times Bestselling novelist. Born in New Zealand, he moved to North West England in 2006, where he lives with his ...

– '' The Burning Dark'' * J. M. Coetzee – '' The Childhood of Jesus'' *

Troy Denning Troy Denning is an American fantasy and science fiction author and game designer who has written more than two dozen novels. Background Denning grew up in the mountain town of Idaho Springs, Colorado. An avid reader of science fiction and fan ...

– ''

Crucible A crucible is a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. While crucibles were historically usually made from clay, they can be made from any material that withstands te ...

'' * Doug Dorst – '' S.'' *

Richard Flanagan Richard Miller Flanagan (born 1961) is an Australian writer, who has also worked as a film director and screenwriter. He won the 2014 Man Booker Prize for his novel ''The Narrow Road to the Deep North''. Flanagan was described by the ''Washingt ...

– ''

The Narrow Road to the Deep North ''Oku no Hosomichi'' (, originally ), translated as ''The Narrow Road to the Deep North'' and ''The Narrow Road to the Interior'', is a major work of ''haibun'' by the Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō, considered one of the major texts of Japanese li ...

'' * Aminatta Forna – ''

The Hired Man ''The Hired Man'' is a novel by Melvyn Bragg, first published in 1969 by Secker and Warburg. It is the first part of Bragg's Cumbrian Trilogy. The story is set predominantly in the rural area around Thurston (Bragg's name for Wigton, his h ...

'' * Frederick Forsyth – '' The Kill List'' *

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 Ocean at the End of the Lane'' * Elizabeth Graver – ''The End of the Point'' * David G. Hartwell (ed.) – ''Year's best SF 18'' *

Neamat Imam Neamat Imam ( bn, নেয়ামত ইমাম; born 5 January 1971) is a Bangladeshi-Canadian author of literary fiction. His first novel, '' The Black Coat'', a ''Quill & Quire'' Book of the Year 2016, was published by Penguin Books In ...

– '' The Black Coat'' *

Reinhard Jirgl Reinhard Jirgl (born 16 January 1953 in East-Berlin) is a German writer. Biography Jirgl was born in Berlin-Friedrichshain. He became a skilled worker for electromechanics. Then he completed a degree in electronics at Humboldt University, Berli ...

– '' Nichts von euch auf Erden'' *

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 ...

– '' Doctor Sleep'' * Rachel Kushner – ''

The Flamethrowers ''The Flamethrowers'' is a 2013 novel by American author Rachel Kushner. The book was released on April 2, 2013 through Scribner. ''The Flamethrowers'' follows a female artist in the 1970s. While writing the book, Kushner drew on personal expe ...

'' * Pierre Lemaitre – '' Au revoir là-haut'' (The Great Swindle) * Eimear McBride – '' A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing'' * Alex Miller – '' Coal Creek'' *

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) – '' Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage'' (色彩を持たない多崎つくると、彼の巡礼の年, ''Tsukuru to, kare no junrei no toshi'') * Adam Nevill – ''

House of Small Shadows ''House of Small Shadows'' (also stylized as ''The House of Small Shadows'' for its United States release) is a 2013 supernatural horror novel by English writer Adam Nevill. The book was first published in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2013 th ...

'' *

Nnedi Okorafor Nnedimma Nkemdili "Nnedi" Okorafor (formerly Okorafor-Mbachu; born April 8, 1974) is a Nigerian-American writer of science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults. She is best known for her ''Binti Series'' and her novels ''Who Fears ...

– '' Kabu-Kabu: Stories'' *

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 ...

– '' Doomed'' * Rick Riordan – '' The House of Hades'' * Veronica Roth – '' Allegiant'' * J. K. Rowling (as Robert Galbraith) – '' The Cuckoo's Calling'' *

Ahmed Saadawi Ahmed Saadawi (born 1973, ar, أحمد سعداوي) is an Iraqi novelist, poet, screenwriter and documentary film maker. He won the 2014 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for '' Frankenstein in Baghdad''. He lives and works in Baghdad. Awa ...

– ''

Frankenstein in Baghdad ''Frankenstein in Baghdad'' ( ar, فرانكشتاين في بغداد) is an Arabic novel written by the Iraqi writer Ahmed Saadawi. It won the IPAF award (International Prize for Arabic Fiction) for 2014. The novel was translated into English ...

'' (فرانكشتاين في بغداد) * M. G. Sanchez – ''The Escape Artist: a Gibraltarian novel'' * George Saunders – '' Tenth of December: Stories'' * John Scalzi – '' The Human Division'' *

Sjón 260px, Sjón at LiteratureXchange Festival ín Aarhus (Denmark 2019) Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson (born 27 August 1962), known as Sjón ( ; ; meaning "sight" and being an abbreviation of his first name), is an Icelandic poet, novelist, lyricis ...

– ''Moonstone – The Boy Who Never Was (Mánasteinn – drengurinn sem aldrei var til)'' * Robert Stone – '' Death of the Black-Haired Girl'' *

Donna Tartt Donna Louise Tartt (born December 23, 1963) is an American novelist and essayist. Early life Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta, the elder of two daughters. She was raised in the nearby town of Grenada. Her fa ...

– '' The Goldfinch'' * Zlatko Topčić – '' Dagmar'' *

Laura van den Berg Laura van den Berg is an American fiction writer. She is the author of five works of fiction. Her first two collections of short stories were each shortlisted for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, in 2010 and 2014. In 2021, she ...

– The Isle of Youth (short story collection) * Peter Watts – ''Beyond the Rift'' (collected stories) * Tim Winton – '' Eyrie''

Children's and young people

David Almond David Almond (born 15 May 1951) is a British author who has written many novels for children and young adults from 1998, each one receiving critical acclaim. He is one of thirty children's writers, and one of three from the UK, to win the bie ...

– '' Mouse Bird Snake Wolf'' * Janeen Brian – '' I'm A Dirty Dinosaur'' *Nick Bromley – ''

Open Very Carefully ''Open Very Carefully: A Book With Bite!'' is a 2013 children's picture book by Nick Bromley and illustrated by Nicola O'Byrne. It is about a crocodile that disrupts a narrator's reading of The Ugly Duckling. Reception A review in ''Publishers W ...

'' * Laura Dockrill – ''Darcy Burdock'' *

Anthony Horowitz Anthony John Horowitz, (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include ''The Diamond Brothers'' series, the '' Alex Rider'' series, and '' ...

– '' Russian Roulette'' * John Hornor Jacobs – '' The Twelve-Fingered Boy'' * Chris Lynch – '' Dead in The Water'' * Patricia MacLachlan – ''Cat Talk'' *

Nikki McClure Nikki McClure is a papercut artist based in Olympia, Washington. She is the author and illustrator of a number of children's books and produces an annual calendar. Biography McClure grew up in Kirkland, Washington. She moved to Olympia in 1986 ...

– '' How To Be A Cat'' *

Rhode Montijo Rhode Montijo (born January 17, 1973) is an American children's book author and illustrator best known as the creator of ''Pablo's Inferno'', '' Cloud Boy'' and co-creator of the Flash cartoon ''Happy Tree Friends''. Career Raised in Stockton, C ...

- '' The Gumazing Gum Girl! Book 1: Chews Your Destiny'' (August 20) *

Chris Raschka Chris Raschka (born March 6, 1959) is an American illustrator, writer, and violist. He contributed to children's literature as a children's illustrator. He was U.S. nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2012. ...

– ''

Daisy Gets Lost ''Daisy Gets Lost'' is a 2013 children's picture book by Chris Raschka. It is a sequel of the 2011 book '' A Ball for Daisy'' and is about Daisy chasing a squirrel, becoming lost in a forest, but then being reunited with her owner. Reception In ...

'' * Rainbow Rowell **''

Eleanor & Park ''Eleanor & Park'' is the first young adult novel written by Rainbow Rowell. Published in 2012, the story follows dual narratives by Eleanor and Park, two misfits living in Omaha, Nebraska from 1986 to 1987. Eleanor, a chubby 16-year-old girl wit ...

'' **''

Fangirl A fan or fanatic, sometimes also termed an aficionado or enthusiast, is a person who exhibits strong interest or admiration for something or somebody, such as a celebrity, a sport, a sports team, a genre, a politician, a book, a movie, a ...

'' * Maggie Stiefvater – ''

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

'' (second book in ''

The Raven Cycle The Raven Cycle is a series of four contemporary fantasy novels written by American author Maggie Stiefvater. The first novel, ''The Raven Boys'', was published by Scholastic in 2012, and the final book, ''The Raven King'', was published on 26 ...

'') *Amy Tintera – '' Reboot''

Drama

* Annie Baker – '' The Flick'' *

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 ...

– '' Die Schutzbefohlenen'' *

Lucy Kirkwood Lucy Ann Kirkwood (born October 1983) is a British playwright and screenwriter. She is writer in residence at Clean Break. In June 2018 Kirkwood was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in its "40 Under 40" initiative. Early life ...

– ''

Chimerica Chimerica is a neologism and portmanteau coined by Niall Ferguson and Moritz Schularick describing the symbiotic relationship between China and the United States, with incidental reference to the legendary chimera. Though the term is largely ...

'' * Edward Petherbridge and Kathryn Hunter – ''My Perfect Mind''

Poetry

Non-fiction

Saroo Brierley Saroo Brierley (born ) is an Indian-born Australian businessman and author who, at the age of five, was accidentally separated from his biological family. He was adopted out of India by an Australian couple but was reunited with his biological ...

– '' A Long Way Home'' *

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

– '' Blue Plate Special: An Autobiography of My Appetites'' *

Pat Conroy Donald Patrick Conroy (October 26, 1945 – March 4, 2016) was an American author who wrote several acclaimed novels and memoirs; his books '' The Water is Wide'', '' The Lords of Discipline'', ''The Prince of Tides'' and ''The Great Santini'' w ...

– '' The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son'' *

Jared Diamond Jared Mason Diamond (born September 10, 1937) is an American geographer, historian, ornithologist, and author best known for his popular science books '' The Third Chimpanzee'' (1991); ''Guns, Germs, and Steel'' (1997, awarded a Pulitzer Priz ...

– ''The World Until Yesterday'' * Craig Dworkin – ''No Medium'' *Peter Freeman – '' The Wallpapered Manse'' *

Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Timothy Gladwell (born 3 September 1963) is an English-born Canadian journalist, author, and public speaker. He has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'' since 1996. He has published seven books: '' The Tipping Point: How Little ...

– ''David and Goliath'' * Ben Goldacre – ''Bad Pharma'' * Temple Grandin – '' The Autistic Brain'' * Michael Kimmel – ''

Angry White Men ''Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era'' is a sociological critique of the angry white male phenomenon in America by Michael Kimmel, first published in 2013. The book was re-published in April 2017 with a new preface by Kimm ...

'' *

Mark Levin Mark Reed Levin (; born September 21, 1957) is an American lawyer, author, and radio personality. He is the host of syndicated radio show '' The Mark Levin Show'', as well as '' Life, Liberty & Levin'' on Fox News. Levin worked in the admin ...

– ''The Liberty Amendments'' *Peter H. Maguire - '' Thai Stick'' * Diane Muldrow – '' Everything I Need To Know I Learned From A Little Golden Book'' *

Thomas Piketty Thomas Piketty (; born 7 May 1971) is a French economist who is Professor of Economics at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Associate Chair at the Paris School of Economics and Centennial Professor of Economics in the In ...

– '' Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Le Capital au XXIe siècle)'' * Lisa Randall – '' Higgs Discovery'' *

Sheryl Sandberg Sheryl Kara Sandberg (born August 28, 1969) is an American business executive, billionaire, and philanthropist. Sandberg served as chief operating officer (COO) of Meta Platforms, a position from which she stepped down in August 2022. She is al ...

– ''Lean In'' *

Nina Stibbe Nina Stibbe (born 1962) is a British writer born in Willoughby Waterleys and raised in Fleckney, Leicestershire. She became a nanny in the household of Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the '' London Review of Books.'' Her letters home to her sister b ...

– ''Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life'' *

Jeff VanderMeer Jeff VanderMeer (born July 7, 1968) is an American author, editor, and literary critic. Initially associated with the New Weird literary genre, VanderMeer crossed over into mainstream success with his bestselling Southern Reach Trilogy. The t ...

– ''The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction''

Deaths

* 2 January **

Alexei Rudeanu Alexei Rudeanu (April 12, 1939 – January 2, 2013) was a Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hun ...

, Romanian writer (born

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

) ** Teresa Torańska, Polish journalist and writer (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 ...

) *

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

– Maruša Krese, Slovene poet, writer and journalist (born

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

) *

10 January Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war. * 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the be ...

–

Evan S. Connell Evan Shelby Connell Jr. (August 17, 1924 – January 10, 2013) was a U.S. novelist, short-story writer, essayist and author of epic historical works. He also published under the name Evan S. Connell Jr. In 2009, Connell was nominated for the M ...

, American novelist, poet and short story writer (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 ...

) *

11 January 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 Muhammad a ...

– Robert Kee, English writer, journalist and broadcaster (born

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

) *

18 January Events Pre-1600 * 474 – Seven-year-old Leo II succeeds his maternal grandfather Leo I as Byzantine emperor. He dies ten months later. * 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople fail. *1126 – Emperor Huizong abdicates the Chines ...

–

Jacques Sadoul Jacques Sadoul (1934 – 18 January 2013) was a French novelist, book editor and non-fiction author. Work on science fiction His ''Histoire de la science fiction moderne'' (1973) was a major encouragement for the serious, academic study of ...

, French novelist, book editor and non-fiction writer (born

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

) *

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

** Yemi Ajibade, Nigerian playwright and actor (born 1929) ** Dolores Prida, Cuban-American journalist and playwright (born

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

) **

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

(柴田トヨ), Japanese poet (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. * ...

) *

24 January Events Pre-1600 * 41 – Claudius is proclaimed Roman emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula. * 914 – Start of the First Fatimid invasion of Egypt. *1438 – The Counci ...

– Richard G. Stern, American novelist and educator (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 ...

) *

2 February Events Pre-1600 * 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of " Roman law". * 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King ...

– Sirajul Haq Memon, Pakistani author, journalist and scholar in Sindhi (born

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

) *3 February – Robert Anthony Welch, Irish author and academic (born

) *4 February – Margaret Frazer (Gail Lynn Brown), American historical novelist (born 1946 in literature, 1946) *5 February – Leda Mileva, Bulgarian writer, translator, and diplomat (born 1920 in literature, 1920) *7 February **Niki Marangou, Cypriot writer and painter (born 1948 in literature, 1948) **Jonathan Rendall, English author (born 1964 in literature, 1964) *8 February – Alan Sharp, Scottish-American screenwriter and author (born

) *10 February – W. Watts Biggers, American novelist (born 1927 in literature, 1927) *12 February – Barnaby Conrad, American author (born 1922 in literature, 1922) *13 February – Oswald LeWinter, Austrian-born American writer (born 1931 in literature, 1931) *14 February **Glenn Boyer, American author (born

) **Mary Brave Bird, American Lakota people, Lakota writer and activist (born 1954 in literature, 1954) **Friedrich Neznansky, Russian writer (born 1932 in literature, 1932) *17 February **William Bridges (author), William Bridges, American author and business consultant (born

) **Manoranjan Das, Indian playwright (born 1923 in literature, 1923) **Debbie Ford, American motivational author (born 1955 in literature, 1955) *23 February **Maurice Rosy, Belgian comics writer (born 1927 in literature, 1927) **Sylvia Smith, English writer (born 1945 in literature, 1945) *24 February – Mahmoud Salem, Egyptian author (born 1931 in literature, 1931) *26 February **Jan Howard Finder, American science fiction writer (born

) **Stéphane Hessel, German-born French author and diplomat (born 1917 in literature, 1917) *27 February **Molly Lefebure, English writer (born

) **Imants Ziedonis, Latvian poet (born

) *10 March – Robert Chrisman, American poet, scholar, and critic, co-founder of ''The Black Scholar'' (born 1937 in literature, 1937) *30 March – Daniel Hoffmann (writer), Daniel Hoffmann, American poet and essayist (born 1923 in literature, 1923) *1 April – Kildare Dobbs, Canadian author (born 1923 in literature, 1923) *11 April – Adam Galos, Polish historian (born

) *13 April – Nick Pollotta, American science fiction author (born 1954 in literature, 1954) *20 April **Jocasta Innes, China-born English non-fiction writer (born

) **E. L. Konigsburg, American children's novelist and illustrator (born 1930 in literature, 1930) *22 April – Clément Marchand, Canadian poet and journalist (born 1912 in literature, 1912) *1 May – Gregory Rogers, Australian children's author and illustrator (born 1957 in literature, 1957) *12 May – Per Maurseth, Norwegian historian (born 1932 in literature, 1932) *23 May – William Demby, American author (born 1922 in literature, 1922) *26 May – Jack Vance, American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer (born 1916 in literature, 1916) *6 June – Tom Sharpe, English comic novelist (born

) *9 June – Iain Banks, Scottish novelist (born 1954 in literature, 1954) *23 June – Richard Matheson, American author and screenwriter (born 1926 in literature, 1926) *12 July – Elaine Morgan (writer), Elaine Morgan, Welsh writer on anthropology (born 1920 in literature, 1920) *2 September – Frederik Pohl, American science fiction writer (born

) *18 September – Marcel Reich-Ranicki, Polish-born German literary critic (born 1920 in literature, 1920) *21 September – Kofi Awoonor, Ghanaian poet (shot dead, born 1935 in literature, 1935) *23 September **Christopher Koch, Australian novelist (born 1932 in literature, 1932) **Álvaro Mutis, Colombian poet, novelist and essayist (born 1923 in literature, 1923) **Luciano Vincenzoni, Italian screenwriter (born 1926 in literature, 1926) *1 October – Tom Clancy, American thriller writer (born

) *25 November – Joel Lane, English author, poet, and critic (born 1963 in literature, 1963) *11 December – Barbara Branden, Canadian-American author (born 1929)

Awards

*Akutagawa Prize (Early): Kaori Fujino for ''Tsume to Me'' (爪と目) "Nails and Eyes" *Caine Prize for African Writing: Tope Folarin, "Miracle" *Camões Prize: Mia Couto *Danuta Gleed Literary Award: ''(announced 11 June 2013)'' *David Cohen Prize: Hilary Mantel *Dayne Ogilvie Prize: Main award, C. E. Gatchalian; honours of distinction, Anand Mahadevan, Barry Webster (writer), Barry Webster *Dylan Thomas Prize: ''Battleborn (short story collection), Battleborn'' by Claire Vaye Watkins *European Book Prize: Eduardo Mendoza Garriga, Eduardo Mendoza, ''An Englishman in Madrid'', and Arnaud Leparmentier, ''The French, gravediggers of the euro'' *German Book Prize: Terézia Mora, ''Das Ungeheuer'' *Goldsmiths Prize: '' A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing'' by Eimear McBride *Gordon Burn Prize: ''Pig Iron'' by Ben Myers *Governor General's Award for English-language fiction: ''The Luminaries'' by Eleanor Catton *Governor General's Award for French-language fiction: ''Quand les guêpes se taisent'' by Stéphanie Pelletier *Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française: Plonger by Christophe Ono-dit-Biot *Hugo Award for Best Novel: John Scalzi for Redshirts (novel), Redshirts *International Dublin Literary Award: ''City of Bohane'' by Kevin Barry (author), Kevin Barry *International Prize for Arabic Fiction: ''The Bamboo Stalk'' by Saud Alsanousi *Lambda Literary Awards: Multiple categories; see 2013 Lambda Literary Awards *Man Booker Prize: ''The Luminaries'' by Eleanor Catton *Miles Franklin Award: ''Questions of Travel'' by Michelle de Kretser *National Biography Award (5 August): ''The Two Frank Thrings'' by Peter Fitzpatrick *National Book Award for Fiction: ''The Good Lord Bird'' by James McBride (writer), James McBride *National Book Critics Circle Award: to

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie *Nobel Prize in Literature: Alice Munro *PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: ''Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club'' by Benjamin Alire Sáenz *Premio Planeta de Novela: ''El cielo ha vuelto'' by Clara Sánchez (writer), Clara Sánchez *Premio Strega: ''Resistere non serve a niente'' by Walter Siti *Pritzker Military Library Literature Award: to Tim O'Brien (author), Tim O'Brien *Prix Goncourt: '' Au revoir là-haut'' by Pierre Lemaitre *Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: ''The Orphan Master's Son'' by Adam Johnson (writer), Adam Johnson *Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: ''Stag's Leap'' by Sharon Olds *Russian Booker Prize: ''Возвращение в Панджруд'' (''Return to Panjrud'') by Andrei Volos *SAARC Literary Award: Suman Pokhrel, Abhay K, Daya Dissanayake, Farheen Chaudhary, Abdul Khaliq Rashid *Samuel Johnson Prize: ''(announced November 2013)'' ''The Pike'' by Lucy Hughes-Hallett *Scotiabank Giller Prize: Lynn Coady, ''Hellgoing'' *Whiting Awards: Fiction: Hannah Dela Cruz Abrams (fiction/nonfiction), Amanda Coplin, Jennifer duBois, C.E. Morgan, Stephanie Powell Watts; Nonfiction: Morgan Meis, Clifford Thompson (writer), Clifford Thompson; Plays: Virginia Grise; Poetry: Ishion Hutchinson, Rowan Ricardo Phillips *Women's Prize for Fiction: May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes *Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award: W.S. Merwin

References

External links

2013: the year ahead in books
at ''The Guardian'' *Most popular 2013 book articles viewed on Wikipedia, with user comments on traffic jumps �
The latest statistics
can be found o
Wikitop
{{Year in literature article categories 2013 in literature, 2013 books, Years of the 21st century in literature