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Famous Authors & Writers

Famous Black Writers

black and white photo of langston hughes smiling past the foreground

10 Langston Hughes Poems That Capture the Heart of America

By Adrienne Donica
james baldwin

10 Black Authors Who Shaped Literary History

maya angelou gestures while speaking in a chair during an interview at her home in 1978

5 Crowning Achievements of Maya Angelou

By Biography.com Editors
writer and playwright lorraine hansberry poses for a portrait in her apartment at 337 bleecker street

The Black Activism in Lorraine Hansberry's Plays

audre lorde lectures students at the atlantic center for the arts in new smyrna beach, florida next to a chalkboard that says women are powerful and dangerous

15 Inspiring Audre Lorde Quotes

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cartoonist scott adams standing with cutout of dilbert comic strip character

What You Need to Know About “Dilbert” Cartoonist Scott Adams and His Latest Rant

The future of Scott Adams’ popular comic is cloudy after his racist remarks during a YouTube livestream caused widespread outrage.

By Tyler Piccotti

Novelists

Entertainment Weekly's PopFest LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 29: Author Anne Rice signs books during Entertainment Weekly's PopFest at The Reef on October 29, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)

Anne Rice

Margaret Atwood Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor Margaret Atwood, Alba, Cuneo, Italy, October 2021. (Photo by Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images)

Margaret Atwood

octavia butler

Octavia E. Butler

John Grisham photo via Getty Images

John Grisham

Poets

Robert Frost

Robert Frost

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson

Lord Byron Photo

Lord Byron

Joy Harjo, writer during 2005 Sundance Film Festival - "A Thousand Roads" Portraits at HP Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah, United States. (Photo by J. Vespa/WireImage)

Joy Harjo

Playwrights

colored portrait of william shakespeare staring at the viewer, he wears a black jacket over a white collared shirt

William Shakespeare

Lin-Manuel Miranda Photo va Wikicommons

Lin-Manuel Miranda

arthur miller

Arthur Miller

august wilson

August Wilson

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All About Poe

Video poster

Edgar Allan Poe - Mini Biography

Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" in Popular Culture

painting of edgar allan poe wearing a suit jacket, vest, collared shirt and tie

The Truth Behind Edgar Allan Poe’s Terror Tales

a large headstone engraved with edgar allan poe and busts of the man

Why Edgar Allan Poe’s Death Remains a Mystery

By Tyler Piccotti
edgar allan poe

Edgar Allan Poe

By Biography.com Editors
Golden State Killer

Inside Michelle McNamara's Obsessive Hunt for the Golden State Killer

mark twain

How Mark Twain’s Childhood Influenced His Writing

dr seuss drawing at his desk

Dr. Seuss Wrote 'Green Eggs and Ham' on a Bet

little women

Louisa May Alcott's Inspiration for 'Little Women'

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More Writers

charles dickens

Charles Dickens

harper lee

Harper Lee

portrait of mary shelley

Mary Shelley

TTS audio available12 min
john steinbeck looks past the camera with a neutral expression on his face, he is wearing a light jacket and a dark shirt

John Steinbeck

a man smiles at the camera as he wears a suit coat, collared shirt, and tie

George Orwell

TTS audio available13 min
Author William Golding Posing in Front of His Home

William Golding

Roald Dahl Photo By Tony Evans/Getty Images

Roald Dahl

f scott fitzgerald smiles at the camera, he wears a three piece suit, collared shirt and tie

F. Scott Fitzgerald

mark twain stares at the camera, he wears a light colored collared shirt and suit jacket

Mark Twain

Ida Tarbell

Ida Tarbell

J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling

Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells

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painting showing william shakespeare sitting at a desk with his head resting on his left hand and holding a quill pen

Shakespeare Wrote His Tragedies in Turbulent Times

TTS audio available6 min
Atlantic Center for the Arts

15 Inspiring Audre Lorde Quotes

Author William Golding Posing in Front of His Home

William Golding

maya angelou

19 Inspirational Maya Angelou Quotes

gloria steinem wearing playboy bunny costume

Inside Gloria Steinem’s Month as an Undercover Playboy Bunny

dr seuss holds 'the cat in the hat'

Dr. Seuss: The Story Behind 'The Cat in the Hat'

portrait of maya angelou

Maya Angelou

agatha christie sitting at a typewriter between stacks of books

What Caused Agatha Christie’s Disappearance?

The Latest

detail of portrait engraving of jane austen

Jane Austen: 6 Interesting Facts About the Author

ernest hemingway one of the greatest american novelists of the 20th century.

Ernest Hemingway

william shakespeare

A Long-Lost Will Caused Shakespeare Family Drama

TTS audio available5 min
a man with glasses wears a white collared shirt and smiles at the camera

Stephen King

TTS audio available21 min
stephen king reaching out with his arm and holding a book

The Rockin’ Origins of Stephen King’s Pen Name

harper lee

6 Fascinating Facts About Harper Lee

edgar allan poe

The Truth Behind Edgar Allan Poe’s Terror Tales

william shakespeare

A Huge Shakespeare Mystery, Solved

TTS audio available8 min
dr seuss drawing at his desk

Dr. Seuss Wrote 'Green Eggs and Ham' on a Bet

a woman with gray dreadlocks smiles at the camera, she wears a red knit sweater and silver earrings

Toni Morrison

TTS audio available16 min
drawing of a woman and a man sitting inside near a window, she looks down, he looks at her

Shakespeare May Not Have Abandoned His Wife

a man in a fur trimmed long coat and suit looks at the camera while standing for a photo

Oscar Wilde

TTS audio available13 min