Skip to Content

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

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
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

painting of william shakespeare

William Shakespeare

Lin-Manuel Miranda Photo va Wikicommons

Lin-Manuel Miranda

arthur miller

Arthur Miller

august wilson

August Wilson

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

All About Poe

preview for Edgar Allan Poe - Mini Biography

Edgar Allan Poe - Mini Biography

Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven

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

Edgar Allan Poe

12 True Stories 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'

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

More Writers

charles dickens

Charles Dickens

Harper Lee

Harper Lee

mary shelley

Mary Shelley

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

george orwell

George Orwell

William Golding

William Golding

Roald Dahl Photo By Tony Evans/Getty Images

Roald Dahl

F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Mark Twain

Mark Twain

Ida Tarbell

Ida Tarbell

J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling

Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells

an engraving of william shakespeare in a green and red suit and looking ahead for a portrait

A Huge Shakespeare Mystery, Solved

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

How Did Shakespeare Die?

William Shakespeare

Shakespeare Wrote 3 Tragedies in Turbulent Times

William Shakespeare

The Mystery of Shakespeare's Life and Death

Shakespeare reading Hamlet to his family

Was Shakespeare the Real Author of His Plays?

a book opened to its title page that includes a drawn portrait of william shakespeare on the left side and additional details about the book, including its name, on the right side

20 Shakespeare Quotes

william shakespeare study guide

The Ultimate William Shakespeare Study Guide

author suzanne collins smiling

Suzanne Collins

alice munro smiles at the camera, she wears a black headband and a striped suit jacket

Alice Munro

anne frank looks at the camera, she wears a dark sweater over a light colored collared shirt

Anne Frank

agatha christie looks at the camera as she leans her head against on hand, she wears a dark top and rings on her fingers

Agatha Christie

truman capote sits in a highbacked wicked chair and looks at the camera as he rests his head on one hand, he wears a sweater over a collared shirt and slacks

9 Surprising Facts About Truman Capote