2009 in literature
Encyclopedia
The year 2009 in literature involved some significant events and new books.
Events
- 8 October - Romanian-born German novelist Herta MüllerHerta MüllerHerta Müller is a Romanian-born German novelist, poet and essayist noted for her works depicting the effects of violence, cruelty and terror, usually in the setting of Communist Romania under the repressive Nicolae Ceauşescu regime which she experienced herself...
wins the 2009 Nobel Prize in LiteratureNobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
. - 10 November - Linden MacIntyreLinden MacIntyreLinden MacIntyre is a Canadian journalist, broadcaster and novelist. He has won eight Gemini Awards, an International Emmy and numerous other awards for writing and journalistic excellence.-Life and career:...
wins the 2009 Scotiabank Giller PrizeScotiabank Giller PrizeThe Scotiabank Giller Prize, or Giller Prize, is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English the previous year, after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries...
for his novel The Bishop's ManThe Bishop's ManThe Bishop's Man is a novel by Canadian writer Linden MacIntyre, published in August 2009. The story follows a Catholic priest named Duncan MacAskill who became so successful at resolving potential church scandals quickly and quietly that he had to accept a position at remote parish on Cape Breton...
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Prose fiction
- Steig Larsson - The Girl Who Played With FireThe Girl Who Played with FireThe Girl Who Played with Fire is the second novel in the best-selling "Millennium series" by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. It was published posthumously in Swedish in 2006 and in English in January 2009....
(July 28) - Margaret AtwoodMargaret AtwoodMargaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
- The Year of the FloodThe Year of the FloodThe Year of the Flood is a novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, released on September 22, 2009 in the United States, and September 7, 2009, in the United Kingdom...
(September 8) - T. C. BoyleT. Coraghessan BoyleTom Coraghessan Boyle is a U.S. novelist and short story writer. Since the mid 1970s, he has published twelve novels and more than 100 short stories...
- The Women (February 10) - Kathryn StockettKathryn StockettKathryn Stockett is an American novelist. She is known for her 2009 debut novel, The Help, which is about African American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s.-Career:...
- The HelpThe HelpThe Help is an American situation comedy television series which premiered on The WB on March 5, 2004. The show was a raunchy comedy that focused on the hard-lucked life of a beauty school dropout, who now must work for the wealthy and spoiled Ridgeway family. The rest of the hired help are also...
(February 10) - Dan BrownDan BrownDan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
- The Lost Symbol (September 15) - E. L. DoctorowE. L. DoctorowEdgar Lawrence Doctorow is an American author.- Biography :Edgar Lawrence Doctorow was born in the Bronx, New York City, the son of second-generation Americans of Russian Jewish descent...
- Homer & Langley (September 1) - Glen David GoldGlen David GoldGlen David Gold is known as the author of Carter Beats the Devil, a fictionalized biography of Charles Joseph Carter , an American illusionist performing from c.1900-1936 and Sunnyside. He writes in a narrative style, and the book was hailed as a very respectable venture into historical fiction...
- SunnysideSunnyside (novel)-Plot introduction:The novel is about Charlie Chaplin and the rise of Hollywood, celebrity and the American Empire during World War I.-Explanation of the novel's title:The title of the novel refers to the 1919 Charlie Chaplin film also named Sunnyside....
(May 5) - Lauren GroffLauren GroffLauren Groff is an American novelist and short story writer.-Biography:She graduated from Amherst College and from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with an MFA in fiction....
- Delicate Edible BirdsDelicate Edible BirdsDelicate Edible Birds is a short story collection written by Lauren Groff. Groff was born and raised in Cooperstown, New York, home of American writers James Fenimore Cooper and W.W. Lord. Several of the stories take place in Upstate New York...
(January 27) - Terrence E. Holt - In the Valley of the KingsIn the Valley of the KingsIn the Valley of the Kings: Stories is a collection of short stories, the single debut book by the American writer, doctor and former professor Terrence Holt. It was published on September 14, 2009 by W. W. Norton & Company....
(September 14) - Denis JohnsonDenis JohnsonDenis Hale Johnson is an American author who is known for his short-story collection Jesus' Son and his novel Tree of Smoke , which won the National Book Award. He also writes plays, poetry and non-fiction.- Biography :...
- Nobody Move (June 5) - Daniel KehlmannDaniel KehlmannDaniel Kehlmann is a German language author of both Austrian and German nationality. His work Die Vermessung der Welt is the best selling novel in the German language since Patrick Süskind's Perfume was released in 1985...
- FameFame (novel)Fame is a 2009 novel by the Austrian-German writer Daniel Kehlmann. The narrative consists of nine loosely connected stories about technology, celebrity and alienation...
(January 16) - Lorrie MooreLorrie MooreLorrie Moore is an American fiction writer known mainly for her humorous and poignant short stories.-Biography:...
- A Gate at the StairsA Gate at the StairsA Gate at the Stairs is a novel by American fiction writer Lorrie Moore. It was published by Random House in 2009. The novel won Amazon.com's "best of the month" designation and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction....
(September 15) - Alice MunroAlice MunroAlice Ann Munro is a Canadian short-story writer, the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work, a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction, and a perennial contender for the Nobel Prize...
- Too Much HappinessToo Much HappinessToo Much Happiness is a short story collection by Canadian writer Alice Munro, published on August 25, 2009 by McClelland and Stewart's Douglas Gibson Books imprint....
(August 25) - Joyce Carol OatesJoyce Carol OatesJoyce Carol Oates is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over fifty novels, as well as many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction...
- Dear Husband, (March 31) - Joyce Carol OatesJoyce Carol OatesJoyce Carol Oates is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over fifty novels, as well as many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction...
- Little Bird of HeavenLittle Bird of HeavenLittle Bird of Heaven is a 2009 novel by Joyce Carol Oates. It is her 38th published novel. The novel is the third set in the fictional city of Sparta, NY, which was also a main setting for her two previous best-sellers We Were the Mulvaneys and The Gravedigger's Daughter.-Plot summary:When a...
(September 15) - Chuck PalahniukChuck PalahniukCharles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk is an American transgressional fiction novelist and freelance journalist. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter...
- PygmyPygmy (novel)-Plot:The plot revolves around a 13-year-old boy named Agent Number 67 from an unnamed, totalitarian state described as a "mash-up of North Korea, Cuba, Communist-era China, and Nazi-era Germany", as an exchange student to live with an American family from an unnamed Midwestern location as a...
(May 5) - Lyudmila PetrushevskayaLyudmila PetrushevskayaLyudmila Stefanovna Petrushevskaya is a Russian writer, novelist and playwright.The Moscow-born Petrushevskaya is regarded as one of Russia's most prominent contemporary writers, whose writing combines postmodernist trends with the psychological insights and parodic touches of writers such as...
- There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby (September 29) - Thomas PynchonThomas PynchonThomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
- Inherent ViceInherent ViceInherent Vice is a novel by Thomas Pynchon, originally published in August 2009.-Title:The term "inherent vice" is a legal tenet referring to a "hidden defect of a good or property which of itself is the cause of its deterioration, damage, or wastage...
(August 4) - Richard RussoRichard RussoRichard Russo is an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and teacher.-Early life and education:Russo was born in Johnstown, New York, and raised in nearby Gloversville...
- That Old Cape MagicThat Old Cape MagicThat Old Cape Magic is Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Richard Russo's eighth novel. First published in 2009, the novel is much lighter in content than his previous work, the somber 2007 work Bridge of Sighs, which followed some upstate New York characters across several decades.-Plot:The...
(August 4) - Raphael Selbourne - BeautyBeauty (novel)Beauty is a novel by Raphael Selbourne first published in 2009 about a young Muslim woman – the eponymous heroine – in search of personal freedom...
(September) - Nicholas SparksNicholas Sparks (author)Nicholas Charles Sparks is an internationally-bestselling American novelist and screenwriter. He has 16 published novels, with thematic ideas that include cancer, death and love. Six have been adapted to film, including Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe,...
- The Last Song (September 8) - Wells TowerWells TowerWells Tower is an American writer of short stories and non-fiction.-Early life, education, and early career:Tower was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, but grew up in North Carolina....
- Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned (March 17) - John WrayJohn Wray (novelist)John Henderson , better known by his pen name John Wray, is a novelist and regular contributor to The New York Times Magazine. Born in Washington, D.C., of an American father and Austrian mother, he is a citizen of both countries...
- Lowboy (March 3) - Dave EggersDave EggersDave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is known for the best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and for his more recent work as a screenwriter. He is also the co-founder of the literacy project 826 Valencia.-Life:Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts,...
- The Wild ThingsThe Wild ThingsThe Wild Things is a 2009 full length novel written by Dave Eggers and published by McSweeney's. The book is based on the screenplay of Where the Wild Things Are which Eggers co-wrote...
(October 1) - Jonathan LethemJonathan LethemJonathan Allen Lethem is an American novelist, essayist and short story writer. His first novel, Gun, with Occasional Music, a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was published in 1994. It was followed by three more science fiction novels...
- Chronic CityChronic City-Summary:Lethem began work on Chronic City in early 2007, and has said that the novel is "set on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, it’s strongly influenced by Saul Bellow, Philip K...
(October 13) - John IrvingJohn IrvingJohn Winslow Irving is an American novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of The World According to Garp in 1978...
- Last Night in Twisted RiverLast Night In Twisted RiverLast Night in Twisted River is a 2009 novel by American writer John Irving, his twelfth. It was first published in Canada by Knopf Canada on October 20, 2009, and in the United States by Random House on October 27, 2009...
(October 20 - Canada) (October 27 - U.S.A.) - Philip RothPhilip RothPhilip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
- The HumblingThe HumblingThe Humbling is a novel by Philip Roth published in the fall of 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It is Roth's 30th book and concerns "...an aging stage actor whose empty life is altered by a 'counterplot of unusual erotic desire.'"-Part one:...
(November 2) - Vladimir NabokovVladimir NabokovVladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
- The Original of LauraThe Original of LauraThe Original of Laura is the incomplete final novel by Vladimir Nabokov, which he was writing at the time of his death in 1977. It was finally published, after 30 years of private debate, on November 17, 2009. Nabokov had requested that the work be destroyed upon his death, but his family hesitated...
(unfinished last novel) (November 3) - Barbara KingsolverBarbara KingsolverBarbara Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist and poet. She was raised in rural Kentucky and lived briefly in the former Republic of Congo in her early childhood. Kingsolver earned degrees in biology at DePauw University and the University of Arizona and worked as a freelance writer before...
- The Lacuna: A Novel (November 3)
Horror Fiction
- Yukito Ayatsuji - AnotherAnother (novel)Another is a Japanese novel by Yukito Ayatsuji published on October 29, 2009 by Kadokawa Shoten. A manga adaptation by Hiro Kiyohara began serialization in the May 2010 issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace. A TV anime series produced by P.A. Works will air in January 2012...
(October 29) - Matthew J. CostelloMatthew J. CostelloMatthew J. Costello is the author or coauthor of numerous novels and nonfiction works. His articles have appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. He scripted Trilobyte's bestselling CD-ROM interactive dramas The 7th Guest and its sequel The 11th Hour, as...
- Doom 3: MaelstromDoom 3: MaelstromDoom 3: Maelstrom is the second book in a series of three novels regarding Doom 3. The book was released in March 2009. Before writing the book, its author Matthew J...
(March 31)- Dark Calling (May 2009)
- Hell's Heroes (book)Hell's Heroes (book)Hell's Heroes is the tenth and final installment in Darren Shan's The Demonata series.- Overview :The book was released in the UK and Ireland on the 1st of October 2009 and in the US on the 1st of May 2010. Darren Shan's personal blog confirmed the title of the book in the December edition of...
(October 2009)
- Richard LaymonRichard LaymonRichard Carl Laymon was an American author of suspense and horror fiction, particularly within the splatterpunk subgenre. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and lived as a child in California...
- Dark Mountain (book) (March 2009) - Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
- Under the DomeUnder the DomeUnder the Dome is a novel by Stephen King, published in November 2009. It is a partial rewrite of a novel King attempted writing twice in the late 1970s and early 1980s, under the titles The Cannibals and Under the Dome...
(November 10)
Children's and Young Adult fiction
- Shinichi Kimura, Kobuichi and Muririn - Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? (January 20)
- Charles OgdenCharles Ogden (children's writer)Charles Ogden is the pen name used by a collection of authors at Star Farm Productions for the Edgar & Ellen book series for children and young adults. The pen name is credited with nine books , published by both Tricycle Press, and more recently, Simon & Schuster...
- Split Ends (January 27, 2009) - Robert MuchamoreRobert MuchamoreRobert Kilgore Muchamore is an English author, most notable for writing the CHERUB and Henderson's Boys novels.-Prior to writing:...
- Henderson's BoysHenderson's BoysHenderson's Boys is a series of young adult spy novels written by English author Robert Muchamore. The series follows Charles Henderson, the creator of the fictitious CHERUB organisation...
: The Escape (February 5, 2009) - Sagu Aoyama and Tinkle - Ro-Kyu-Bu!Ro-Kyu-Bu!is a Japanese sports comedy light novel series written by Sagu Aoyama with illustrations by Tinkle. The series is about a high school freshman Subaru Hasegawa who becomes the coach of a grade school's girls basketball team after the high school team's captain was suspected for being a lolicon...
(February 10) - Erin HunterErin HunterErin Hunter is a pseudonym used by the authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, along with editor Victoria Holmes. Under this pen name, they have written two series of books. They are best known for the Warriors series, but the authors have also created another similar series called...
- Great Bear LakeGreat Bear LakeGreat Bear Lake is the largest lake entirely within Canada , the third or fourth largest in North America, and the seventh or eighth largest in the world...
(February 10, 2009) - James DashnerJames DashnerJames Dashner is an American author of children's fantasy series and adult books, including The 13th Reality series and the Jimmy Fincher Saga. His novel The Journal of Curious Letters was chosen for a 2008 Borders Original Voices pick...
- The Hunt for Dark InfinityThe Hunt for Dark InfinityThe Hunt for Dark Infinity is a 2009 novel by James Dashner. It is the second book in the children's series The 13th Reality....
(March 1, 2009) - The Spook's Tale/Interception Point (March 5, 2009) by Joseph DelaneyJoseph DelaneyJoseph Henry Delaney is a British former educator and currently an author of science fiction and fantasy books.-Life and career:On first leaving school, Delaney started work as an apprentice engineer. Upon the completion of his schooling, he went on to become an English instructor, with his initial...
and Mark WaldenMark WaldenMark Walden is the award-winning author of the H.I.V.E. series of novels. He was a senior producer in charge of developing Playstation games for Sony before taking up writing full time.-Personal life:... - Carrie Ryan - The Forest of Hands and Teeth (March 9, 2009)
- Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
- Blueberry GirlBlueberry GirlBlueberry Girl is a book by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess. It was conceived as a poem of the same name, written in 2000 by Neil Gaiman for his goddaughter Tash, daughter of his friend Tori Amos...
(March 10, 2009) - Brandon MullBrandon MullBrandon Mull is an American writer who is best known as the author of the Fablehaven fantasy series, which is a New York Times' bestseller. Mull has also written The Candy Shop War...
- Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (March 24, 2009) - Peter LerangisPeter LerangisPeter Lerangis is an author of children's and young-adult fiction.-Career:Lerangis's work includes The Viper's Nest and The Sword Thief, two titles in the New York Times–bestselling children's-book series The 39 Clues, the historical novel Smiler's Bones, the YA dark comedy-adventure novel wtf,...
- The Sword ThiefThe Sword ThiefThe Sword Thief is the third book in The 39 Clues series. It was written by Peter Lerangis and was published by Scholastic on March 3, 2009. The Sword Thief follows the first two books in the series, The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan and One False Note by Gordon Korman...
(April 1, 2009) - Robert MuchamoreRobert MuchamoreRobert Kilgore Muchamore is an English author, most notable for writing the CHERUB and Henderson's Boys novels.-Prior to writing:...
- Eagle Day (June 4, 2009) - Erin HunterErin HunterErin Hunter is a pseudonym used by the authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, along with editor Victoria Holmes. Under this pen name, they have written two series of books. They are best known for the Warriors series, but the authors have also created another similar series called...
- SunriseSunrise (Warriors)Sunrise is the sixth and final book in Erin Hunter's Warriors: Power of Three children's fantasy novel series. HarperCollins published it on April 21, 2009. The plot follows Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze on their quest to find Ashfur's true murderer. It was originally to be titled "Cruel...
(April 24, 2009) - Erin HunterErin HunterErin Hunter is a pseudonym used by the authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, along with editor Victoria Holmes. Under this pen name, they have written two series of books. They are best known for the Warriors series, but the authors have also created another similar series called...
- Smoke Mountain (May 1, 2009) - Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
- The Last OlympianThe Last OlympianThe Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
(May 5, 2009) - D.J. MachaleD.J. MacHaleDonald James MacHale , known popularly under the pen name D. J. MacHale, is a writer, director, and executive producer. He has been affiliated with shows such as Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Flight 29 Down and Seasonal Differences...
- The Soldiers of HallaThe Soldiers of HallaThe Soldiers of Halla is the tenth and final book in the Pendragon Adventure series by D. J. MacHale. It concludes the battle between the Travelers and Saint Dane. The title was revealed by D. J. MacHale on December 9, 2008, and was taken from a closing line in the preceding book, Raven Rise...
(May 12, 2009) - N.D. Wilson - Dandelion FireDandelion FireDandelion Fire is a 2009 children's fantasy novel by N. D. Wilson. It is the second installment in the 100 Cupboards trilogy, followed by The Chestnut King.-Plot Introduction:...
- Operation Storm CityOperation Storm CityOperation Storm City is the third novel in The Guild of Specialists trilogy by Joshua Mowll. It was published in the UK and France in the autumn of 2008. The US edition was released in hardcover on the May 12, 2009...
(May 12, 2009) by Joshua MowllJoshua MowllJoshua Mowll is a British writer of children’s fiction. His award-winning The Guild of Specialists trilogy has been published in 20 countries worldwide.Mowll’s next book The Great Space Race was published in the UK on August 2, 2010...
and various - Michael ScottMichael Scott (Irish author)Michael Scott is an Irish author.Michael Scott is a seasoned and prolific writer of over 100 books during his 25 plus years of writing thus far...
- The SorceressThe Sorceress: The Secrets Of The Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Sorceress is the third installment in the six-book series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel written by Michael Scott and is the sequel to The Magician. It was released on 26 May 2009 in the U.S.A, 1 June 2009 in Australia and on 25 June 2009 in the UK.-Plot Summary:Flamel and...
(May 26, 2009) - IS (Infinite Stratos)IS (Infinite Stratos)is a Japanese light novel series by Izuru Yumizuru with illustrations provided by Okiura. As of April 2011, 7 volumes have been published by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J label. A manga adaptation by Kenji Akahoshi started serialization in the seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive on May...
(May 31) by Izuru Yumizuru and Okiura - Septimus Heap: The Magykal PapersSeptimus Heap: The Magykal PapersSeptimus Heap: The Magykal Papers is a supplementary book to the Septimus Heap series. Released on July 2009, the book is divided into four sections dealing with The Castle, The Palace, The Wizard Tower and the other parts of the Septimus Heap world. It consists of biographies of the main...
- Angie SageAngie SageAngie Sage is the author of the Septimus Heap series which includes Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, and Darke. She is also the illustrator and/or writer of many children's books, and is the new writer of the Araminta Spook series.Angie Sage grew up in Thames Valley, London and Kent. Her...
(June 23, 2009) - Beyond the GraveBeyond the GraveBeyond the Grave is the fourth book in The 39 Clues series first published in June 2, 2009 and written by Jude Watson.Thematically the novel uses Biblical knowledge, prophecy, and spiritual topics to explore the afterlife. Amy and Dan Cahill, the protagonists, travel to Egypt because of a clue they...
(June 2, 2009) by Jude WatsonJude WatsonJudy Blundell, better known by her pseudonym Jude Watson, is an American novelist for young readers. Her book What I Saw and How I Lied won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2008... - Emily the Strange: The Lost Days (June 2, 2009) by Rob Reger
- Code of the ClansCode of the ClansCode of the Clans is a field guide in the Warriors novel series. Code of the Clans is about the Warrior code and includes an ominous sign from StarClan that signaled the need to patrol borders, the unexpected help from a warrior ancestor that cemented the importance of elders, a secret coup that...
(June 9, 2009) by Erin HunterErin HunterErin Hunter is a pseudonym used by the authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, along with editor Victoria Holmes. Under this pen name, they have written two series of books. They are best known for the Warriors series, but the authors have also created another similar series called... - The Dragons of Ordinary Farm by Tad WilliamsTad WilliamsRobert Paul "Tad" Williams, born in San Jose, California, is the author of several fantasy and science fiction novels, including Tailchaser's Song, the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, the Otherland series, and The War of the Flowers....
and Deborah Beale (2 Jul 2009) - Bluestar's ProphecyBluestar's ProphecyBluestar's Prophecy is a children's fantasy novel in the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. This is the second Warriors Super Edition, the first being Firestar's Quest...
(August 2009) by Erin HunterErin HunterErin Hunter is a pseudonym used by the authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, along with editor Victoria Holmes. Under this pen name, they have written two series of books. They are best known for the Warriors series, but the authors have also created another similar series called... - The Green Bronze Mirror (reprint) (October 29 , 2009) by Lynne Ellison
- The Lost Train of ThoughtThe Lost Train of ThoughtThe Lost Train of Thought is the third novel in The Seems series and was released on October 1, 2007 by Bloomsbury Publishing. It was written by John Hulme and Michael Wexler. It follows Becker Drane, a Fixer for The Seems on his last Mission as a Fixer to retrieve a train filled with Though that...
(October 2009) by John HulmeJohn Hulme (author)John Hulme is one of the two co-authors of The Seems book series. with Michael Wexler. Books in this series are held in over 800 libraries, according to WorldCat....
and Michael Wexler - Mayo Chiki!Mayo Chiki!is a Japanese light novel series written by Hajime Asano with illustrations by Seiji Kikuchi. The first volume of the novel was published on November 21, 2009. As of September 22, 2011, 9 volumes have been published by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J label. A manga adaptation by Niito began...
(November 21) by Hajime Asano and Seiji Kikuchi - The Fourth ApprenticeThe Fourth ApprenticeThe Fourth Apprentice is a children's fantasy novel, the first of six novels in the fourth arc titled Omen of the Stars in the Warriors series. Written by Erin Hunter and published on 24 November 2009, the book originally was to have been entitled Ambush...
(November 24, 2009) by Erin HunterErin HunterErin Hunter is a pseudonym used by the authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, along with editor Victoria Holmes. Under this pen name, they have written two series of books. They are best known for the Warriors series, but the authors have also created another similar series called...
Science Fiction and Fantasy
- James PattersonJames PattersonJames B. Patterson is an American author of thriller novels, largely known for his series about American psychologist Alex Cross...
- MAX: A Maximum Ride NovelMAX: A Maximum Ride NovelMAX: A Maximum Ride Novel is the fifth book in the Maximum Ride series, written by James Patterson. The book was released on March 16, 2009. MAX was published by Little, Brown and Company.-Plot:...
(March 16, 2009) - Jim ButcherJim ButcherJim Butcher is a New York Times Best Selling author most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K...
- Turn CoatTurn CoatTurn Coat is the 11th book in The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's continuing series about wizard detective Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden.-Plot summary:...
(April 7) - James PattersonJames PattersonJames B. Patterson is an American author of thriller novels, largely known for his series about American psychologist Alex Cross...
- Daniel X: Watch the SkiesDaniel X: Watch the SkiesDaniel X: Watch the Skies is a teen science fiction thriller novel written by James Patterson and Ned Rust. It is the second novel in the Daniel X series and was released on July 27, 2009.- Plot :...
(July 27) - Michael E. MarksMichael E. MarksMichael Edward Marks is an award-winning author, poet and songwriter best known for his patriotic writings in support of America's Armed Forces.Mr...
- Dominant Species (novel)Dominant Species (novel)Dominant Species is a bestselling military science fiction novel by Michael E. Marks. It builds on depictions of powered armor as a military technology established first in Robert A...
(October 1, 2009) - Eoin ColferEoin ColferEoin Colfer is an Irish author. He is most famous as the author of the Artemis Fowl series, but he has also written other successful books. His novels have been compared to the works of J. K. Rowling...
- And Another Thing...And Another Thing... (novel)And Another Thing… is the title of the sixth installment of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy". The book, written by Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series, was published on the thirtieth anniversary of the first book, 12 October 2009, in hardback. It was...
(October 2009) - J.C. Hutchins - 7th Son, Book One: Descent (October 27)
- Robert JordanRobert JordanRobert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.-Biography:Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina...
and Brandon SandersonBrandon SandersonBrandon Sanderson is an American fantasy author. A Nebraska native, he currently resides in American Fork, Utah. He earned his Master's degree in Creative Writing in 2005 from Brigham Young University, where he was on the staff of Leading Edge, a semi-professional speculative fiction magazine...
- The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time volume 12) (27 Oct 2009) - Michael CrichtonMichael CrichtonJohn Michael Crichton , best known as Michael Crichton, was an American best-selling author, producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his work in the science fiction, medical fiction, and thriller genres. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and many have been adapted...
- Pirate LatitudesPirate LatitudesPirate Latitudes is an action adventure novel written by Michael Crichton. The book was published posthumously by HarperCollins on November 24, 2009. It is an adventure story concerning piracy in Jamaica in the 17th century....
(November 24)
Non-fiction
- Olivier AmeisenOlivier AmeisenOlivier Ameisen is a French-American cardiologist. He was appointed visiting professor of medicine at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in 2008 based on his work on the mechanisms and treatment of addiction...
- The End of my AddictionThe End Of My AddictionThe End Of My Addiction is a memoir written by a Doctor detailing his experiences with alcoholism. After years of failed attempts to stop drinking, he finds a cure in a drug called Baclofen-Plot summary:...
(March 5) - Dave EggersDave EggersDave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is known for the best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and for his more recent work as a screenwriter. He is also the co-founder of the literacy project 826 Valencia.-Life:Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts,...
- ZeitounZeitoun (book)Zeitoun is a nonfiction book written by Dave Eggers and published by McSweeney's in 2009. It tells the story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, the Syrian-American owner of a painting and contracting company in New Orleans who chose to ride out Hurricane Katrina in his Uptown home...
(July 15) - Craig FergusonCraig FergusonCraig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
- American on PurposeAmerican on PurposeAmerican on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot is a memoir written by entertainer Craig Ferguson.The book details various experiences over several decades in Ferguson's life from his days in Scotland through his migration to the United States; the rise of his performing...
(September 22) - Jonathan Safran FoerJonathan Safran FoerJonathan Safran Foer is an American author best known for his novels Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close...
- Eating AnimalsEating AnimalsEating Animals is the third book by the American writer Jonathan Safran Foer, published in 2009. It is a work of non-fiction.-Themes:Foer explores the topics of factory farming and commercial fisheries...
(October 28) - David GrannDavid GrannDavid Grann is an American literary journalist and best-selling author. He has written about a range of subjects, from New York City's antiquated water supply system to the hunt for giant squid to the U.S...
- The Lost City of ZThe Lost City of Z (book)The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon is a non-fiction book by American author David Grann. It tells the story of the legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett who, in 1925, disappeared with his son in the Amazon while looking for an ancient lost city. For decades, explorers...
(February 24) - Thomas LevensonThomas LevensonThomas Levenson is a US academic, science writer and documentary film-maker. , he is Professor of Science Writing and director of the graduate program in science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
- Newton and the Counterfeiter (June 3) - Eric W. SandersonEric W. SandersonEric W. Sanderson is a landscape ecologist for the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo, director of the Mannahatta Project and the author of...
- Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City (May 1) - Bill SimmonsBill SimmonsWilliam J. "Bill" Simmons III is a sports columnist, author, and podcaster. He currently writes columns and hosts podcasts for Grantland.com, which is affiliated with ESPN.com. He is a former writer for ESPN The Magazine and Jimmy Kimmel Live!...
- The Book of BasketballThe Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports GuyThe Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy is the second book by ESPN columnist Bill Simmons.-Background:Simmons has written under the name “The Sports Guy” for 12 years, 9 of them with ESPN, and currently receives 1.4 million page views per month...
(October 26) - William T. VollmannWilliam T. VollmannWilliam Tanner Vollmann is an American novelist, journalist, short story writer, essayist and winner of the National Book Award...
- Imperial (July 29) - Michael ChabonMichael ChabonMichael Chabon born May 24, 1963) is an American author and "one of the most celebrated writers of his generation", according to The Virginia Quarterly Review....
- Manhood for Amateurs (October 6) - Jonathan Safran FoerJonathan Safran FoerJonathan Safran Foer is an American author best known for his novels Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close...
- Eating AnimalsEating AnimalsEating Animals is the third book by the American writer Jonathan Safran Foer, published in 2009. It is a work of non-fiction.-Themes:Foer explores the topics of factory farming and commercial fisheries...
(November 2) - Guy SormanGuy SormanGuy Sorman is a French professor, columnist, author and public intellectual in economics and philosophy. He has written twenty books that promote the ideals of creativity and modern capitalism. His views are close to classical liberalism...
- Economics Does Not LieEconomics Does Not LieEconomics Does Not Lie: A Defense of the Free Market in a Time of Crisis is a non-fiction book by French classical liberal economist and philosopher Guy Sorman. Sorman argues that while the recent world economic recession involved serious problems, it would be a grievous mistake to use the crisis...
(July 20)
New drama
- Jacob M. AppelJacob M. AppelJacob M. Appel is an American author, bioethicist and social critic. He is best known for his short stories, his work as a playwright, and his writing in the fields of reproductive ethics, organ donation, neuroethics and euthanasia....
- Causa MortisCausa MortisCausa Mortis is a satiric play by Jacob M. Appel that lampoons the modern medical establishment. The plot focuses on a woman, Eleanor, whose brain surgeon has accidentally left his watch in her skull. Her daughters urge her to have the timepiece extracted before it harms her, but every surgeon... - Patrick MarberPatrick MarberPatrick Albert Crispin Marber is an English comedian, playwright, director, puppeteer, actor and screenwriter.-Early life and education:...
- After Miss Julie - Tony Glazer - In The Daylight
- Anna Deavere SmithAnna Deavere SmithAnna Deavere Smith is an American actress, playwright, and professor. She is currently the artist in residence at the Center for American Progress.-Early life:...
- Let Me Down Easy - Sarah RuhlSarah RuhlSarah Ruhl is an American playwright. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.-Biography:Ruhl was born in Wilmette, Illinois. Originally, she intended to be a poet. However, after she studied under Paula Vogel at Brown University , she was convinced to switch to playwrighting...
- In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)In the Next Room is a play by Sarah Ruhl. It concerns the early history of the vibrator, when doctors used it as a clinical device to bring women to orgasm as treatment for "hysteria." Other themes include Victorian ignorance of female sexual desire, motherhood and breastfeeding, and jealousy...
Political
- Mark LevinMark LevinMark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
- Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto (March 24, 2009)
Awards and honors
- PEN/Faulkner Award for FictionPEN/Faulkner Award for FictionThe PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is awarded annually by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation to the authors of the year's best works of fiction by living American citizens. The winner receives US $15,000 and each of four runners-up receives US $5000. The foundation brings the winner and runners-up to...
- Joseph O'NeillJoseph O'Neill (born 1964)Joseph O'Neill is a Irish novelist and non-fiction writer. O'Neill's novel Netherland was awarded the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.-Life:...
, NetherlandNetherlandNetherland is a critically acclaimed novel by Joseph O'Neill. It concerns the life of a Dutchman living in New York in the wake of the September 11 attacks who takes up cricket and starts playing at the Staten Island Cricket Club.-Plot summary:... - Canada ReadsCanada ReadsCanada Reads is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC.-Overview:During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series...
- Lawrence HillLawrence HillLawrence Hill is an award-winning Canadian novelist and memoirist. He is best known for the 2001 memoir Black Berry, Sweet Juice: On Being Black and White in Canada and the 2007 novel The Book of Negroes....
, The Book of NegroesThe Book of Negroes (novel)The Book of Negroes is a 2007 award-winning novel from Canadian writer Lawrence Hill. In the United States, Australia and New Zealand, the novel was published under the title Someone Knows My Name.-Plot introduction:... - IMPAC Dublin Literary Award - Michael ThomasMichael Thomas (author)Michael Thomas is an American author. He won the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his debut novel Man Gone Down, receiving a prize of €100,000. Man Gone Down is also recommended by The New York Times.-Early and personal life:...
, Man Gone DownMan Gone DownMan Gone Down is the debut novel of U.S. author Michael Thomas. It won the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, with Thomas receiving a prize of €100,000... - Man Booker PrizeMan Booker PrizeThe Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
- Hilary MantelHilary MantelHilary Mary Mantel CBE , née Thompson, is an English novelist, short story writer and critic. Her work, ranging in subject from personal memoir to historical fiction, has been short-listed for major literary awards...
, Wolf HallWolf HallWolf Hall is a multi-award winning historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate. Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, Wolf Hall is a fictionalized biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex in the court of Henry VIII of... - Pulitzer Prize for FictionPulitzer Prize for FictionThe Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:...
- Elizabeth StroutElizabeth StroutElizabeth Strout is an American author of fiction.She was born in Portland, Maine, and was raised in small towns in Maine and New Hampshire. After graduating from Bates College, she spent a year in Oxford, England, followed by studies at law school for another year...
, Olive KitteridgeOlive KitteridgeOlive Kitteridge is a collection of stories by American author Elizabeth Strout. It covers 13 connected short stories about a woman named Olive and her immediate family and friends in the town of Crosby in coastal Maine. It is also known as On the Coast of Maine... - Scotiabank Giller PrizeScotiabank Giller PrizeThe Scotiabank Giller Prize, or Giller Prize, is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English the previous year, after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries...
- Linden MacIntyreLinden MacIntyreLinden MacIntyre is a Canadian journalist, broadcaster and novelist. He has won eight Gemini Awards, an International Emmy and numerous other awards for writing and journalistic excellence.-Life and career:...
, The Bishop's ManThe Bishop's ManThe Bishop's Man is a novel by Canadian writer Linden MacIntyre, published in August 2009. The story follows a Catholic priest named Duncan MacAskill who became so successful at resolving potential church scandals quickly and quietly that he had to accept a position at remote parish on Cape Breton... - Nobel Prize in LiteratureNobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
- Herta MüllerHerta MüllerHerta Müller is a Romanian-born German novelist, poet and essayist noted for her works depicting the effects of violence, cruelty and terror, usually in the setting of Communist Romania under the repressive Nicolae Ceauşescu regime which she experienced herself... - Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the YearBookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the YearThe Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, originally known as the Diagram Group Prize for the Oddest Title at the Frankfurt Book Fair, commonly known as the Diagram Prize for short, is a humorous literary award that is given annually to the book with the oddest title...
- Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes, Daina TaiminaDaina TaiminaDaina Taimina is a Latvian mathematician, currently Adjunct Associate Professor at Cornell University, known for crocheting objects to illustrate hyperbolic space. She received all her formal education in Riga, Latvia, where in 1977 she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Latvia and... - Carnegie MedalCarnegie MedalThe Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for children's literatureChildren's literatureChildren's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
: Siobhan DowdSiobhan DowdSiobhan Dowd was a British writer and activist.-Biography:Siobhan Dowd was born in London to Irish parents...
, Bog ChildBog ChildBog Child is a historical novel by Siobhan Dowd. The book was released by David Fickling Books on September 9, 2008. It was listed as one of Amazon's Best Book of the Year for 2008 and one of Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year for the children's fiction category in 2008. It also won the 2009... - Newbery MedalNewbery MedalThe John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
for children's literatureChildren's literatureChildren's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
: Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, The Graveyard BookThe Graveyard BookThe Graveyard Book is a children's fantasy novel by English author Neil Gaiman. The story is about a boy named Nobody Owens, who after his family is murdered is adopted and raised by the occupants of a graveyard...
Deaths
- January 1 - Johannes Mario SimmelJohannes Mario SimmelJohannes Mario Simmel was an Austrian writer.He was born in Vienna and grew up in Austria and England. He was trained as a chemical engineer and worked in research from 1943 to the end of World War II...
, 84, Austrian writer - January 27 - John UpdikeJohn UpdikeJohn Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
, 76, American novelist (Rabbit series)
- February 20 – Christopher NolanChristopher Nolan (author)Christopher Nolan was an Irish poet and author, son of Joseph and Bernadette Nolan. He grew up in Mullingar, Ireland, but later moved to Dublin to attend college. He was educated at the Central Remedial Clinic School, Mount Temple Comprehensive School and at Trinity College, Dublin. His first...
, 43, Irish poet and author - February 25 - Philip José FarmerPhilip José FarmerPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
, 91, American science fiction writer - March 13 – James PurdyJames PurdyJames Otis Purdy was a controversial American novelist, short story-writer, poet, and playwright who, since his debut in 1956, published over a dozen novels, and many collections of poetry, short stories, and plays. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages. He has been praised by...
, 94, American novelist, poet and playwright - March 31
- Jarl AlfrediusJarl AlfrediusJarl Martin Alfredius was a Swedish journalist and newsreader at Swedish Television. Alfredius started his career on the radio news show Dagens Eko, and was recruited to television news show Aktuellt in 1986. Alfredius also did TV shows for the Kunskapskanalen in 2004...
, 66, Swedish journalist - Michael CoxMichael Cox (novelist)Michael Andrew Cox was an English biographer, novelist and musician.- Biography :Michael Cox was born on 30 August 1948 in Northamptonshire, England, where his two novels are largely set. He was the only child of a machinery manufacturer. Cox graduated from St. Catharine's College, Cambridge in...
, 60, British novelist and biographer
- Jarl Alfredius
- April 14 - Maurice DruonMaurice DruonMaurice Druon was a French novelist and a member of the Académie française.Born in Paris, France, Druon was the nephew of the writer Joseph Kessel, with whom he translated the Chant des Partisans, a French Resistance anthem of World War II, with music and words originally by Anna Marly.In 1948...
, 90, French historical novelist - April 19 - J. G. BallardJ. G. BallardJames Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
, 78, British novelist - May 6 - Lev LosevLev Losev-Early life and education:The son of poet Vladimir Lifshitz, Loseff was born in Leningrad. He attended Leningrad's famous Saint Peter's School and graduated from the journalism department of the Leningrad State University.-Literary career:...
, 71, Russian-American poet - May 17 - Mario BenedettiMario BenedettiMario Benedetti was an Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet....
, 88, Uruguayan writer - June 2 - David EddingsDavid EddingsDavid Eddings was an American author who wrote several best-selling series of epic fantasy novels.-Biography:...
, 77, American novelist - July 6 - Vasily AksyonovVasily AksyonovVasily Pavlovich Aksyonov was a Soviet and Russian novelist. He is known in the West as the author of The Burn and Generations of Winter , a family saga depicting three generations of the Gradov family between 1925 and 1953.-Early life:Vasily Aksyonov was...
, 76, Russian novelist - July 19 - Frank McCourtFrank McCourtFrancis "Frank" McCourt was an Irish-American teacher and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, best known as the author of Angela’s Ashes, an award-winning, tragicomic memoir of the misery and squalor of his childhood....
, 78, Irish-American memoirist and Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner
- July 23 - E. Lynn HarrisE. Lynn HarrisEverette "E." Lynn Harris was an American author. Openly gay, he was best known for his depictions of African American men who were on the down-low and closeted...
, 54, American author - July 25 - Stanley MiddletonStanley MiddletonStanley Middleton FRSL was a British novelist. He was born in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire and educated at High Pavement School, Stanley Road, Nottingham and University College Nottingham....
, 89, British author - July 27
- Aeronwy ThomasAeronwy ThomasAeronwy Bryn Thomas-Ellis translator of Italian poetry, was the second child and only daughter of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and his wife, Caitlin Macnamara.-Early life:...
, 66, British translator and writer - Michaël ZeemanMichaël ZeemanMichaël Zeeman was a prominent Dutch journalist, author, editor, columnist and literary critic. He received the C. Buddingh' Award, given annually for the best debut in Dutch poetry , for Beeldenstorm in 1991...
, 50, Dutch literary critic, poet and writer
- Aeronwy Thomas
- July 31 - Tim GuestTim GuestTim Guest was an English author and journalist.-Early childhood:...
, 34, British writer - August 2 - Adolf EndlerAdolf EndlerAdolf Endler was a lyric poet, essayist and prose author who played a central role in subcultural activities that attacked and challenged an outdated model of socialist realism in the German Democratic Republic up until the collapse of communism in the early 1990s...
, 78, German writer - August 4 - Blake SnyderBlake SnyderBlake Snyder was an American screenwriter based in Los Angeles, who became one of the most popular . The author of three books on screenwriting and story structure, Snyder led international seminars and workshops for writers in various disciplines, as well as consultation sessions for some of...
, 51, American screenwriter and author - August 5 - Budd SchulbergBudd SchulbergBudd Schulberg was an American screenwriter, television producer, novelist and sports writer. He was known for his 1941 novel, What Makes Sammy Run?, his 1947 novel The Harder They Fall, his 1954 Academy-award-winning screenplay for On the Waterfront, and his 1957 screenplay for A Face in the...
, 95, American screenwriter and novelist - August 6
- Jack T. KirbyJack T. KirbyJack Temple Kirby was an American historian who wrote about the Southern United States and the persistent stereotyping of Southerners...
, 70, American historian - Willibrordus S. RendraWillibrordus S. RendraWillibrordus Surendra Broto Rendra , widely known as Rendra or W. S. Rendra, was an Indonesian dramatist, poet, activist, performer, actor and director.-Early life:...
, 73, Indonesian poet
- Jack T. Kirby
- August 7 - Danko PopovićDanko PopovićDanko Popović was a Serbian writer. He graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School, where he spent the biggest part of life and where he started his literary work. Danko, however, also returned regularly to his home town and property under the Bukulja...
, 81, Serbian writer - August 8 - Alfonso CalderónAlfonso CalderónAlfonso Calderón Squadritto was a Chilean writer poet and writer. He won the Chilean National Prize for Literature in 1998. He had been a member of the Academia Chilena de la Lengua since 1981. He died on August 8, 2009 having suffered a heart attack.-References:...
, 78, Chilean writer and poet - August 9 - Thierry JonquetThierry JonquetThierry Jonquet was a French writer who specialised in crime novels with political themes. He was born in Paris; his most recent and best known novel outside of France was Mygale , then published in the US in 2003 by City Lights. Mygale was also published in the UK as Tarantula in 2005...
, 55, French writer - August 10
- Josef BurgJosef Burg (writer)Josef Burg was an award-winning Jewish Soviet Yiddish writer, author, publisher and journalist.Burg was born on May 30, 1912, in the town of Vyzhnytsia, in the region of Bukovina, Austria–Hungary...
, 97, Ukrainian Yiddish writer - Merlyn MantleMerlyn MantleMerlyn Mantle was an American author and widow of New York Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle.-Early life:...
, 77, American author
- Josef Burg
- August 16 - Alistair CampbellAlistair Campbell (poet)Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, ONZM was a New Zealand poet, playwright, and novelist. His father was a New Zealand Scot and his mother a Cook Island Maori from Penrhyn Island.-Biography:...
, 84, New Zealand poet - August 18
- Dic JonesDic JonesDic Jones , was a Welsh language poet and the Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.He was born Richard Lewis Jones at Tre'r-ddôl in Ceredigion. The son of a farmer, Jones himself farmed on at Fferm yr Hendre at Blaenannerch in Aberporth...
, 75, Welsh poet - Hugo LoetscherHugo LoetscherHugo Loetscher was a Swiss writer and essayist.- Life :Loetscher was born in Zürich, and grew up there. He studied philosophy, sociology and literature at the University of Zürich and the Sorbonne...
, 79, Swiss author - Fernanda PivanoFernanda PivanoFernanda Pivano was an Italian writer, journalist, translator and critic.Born in Genoa, as a teenager she moved with her family to Turin where she attended the Massimo D'Azeglio Lyceum. In 1941 she received a bachelor's degree with a thesis on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, which earned her a prize...
, 92, Italian writer
- Dic Jones
- August 19 - Donald M. GrantDonald M. GrantDonald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. is a fantasy and science fiction small press publisher in New Hampshire that was founded in 1964. It is notable for publishing fantasy and horror novels with lavish illustrations, most notably Stephen King's The Dark Tower series and the King/Peter Straub novel The...
, 82, American science fiction publisher - August 20 - Karla KuskinKarla KuskinKarla Kuskin was a prolific author, illustrator and reviewer of children's literature. Kuskin was known for her poetic, alliterative style.-Personal life and education:...
, 77, American children's author - August 22 - Elmer KeltonElmer KeltonElmer Stephen Kelton was an American journalist and writer, known particularly for his Western novels.-Biography:...
, 83, American Western novelist - 25 August - Bob CarrollBob Carroll (author)Robert Nuehardt Carroll, Jr. was an American historian and author.Carroll was best known for his contributions to American football research. He was the founder and executive director of the Professional Football Researchers Association , and edited the group's newsletter, The Coffin Corner until...
, 73, American historian and author - 25 August - Sergey MikhalkovSergey MikhalkovSergey Vladimirovich Mikhalkov was a Soviet and Russian author of children's books and satirical fables who had the opportunity to write the lyrics of his country's national anthem on three different occasions, spanning almost 60 years.-Life and career:...
, 96, Russian writer and poet - 3 September - Christine D'HaenChristine D'HaenChristine D'haen was a Flemish author and poet. She was born in Sint-Amandsberg and died at Bruges....
, 85, Belgian poet - 4 September - Keith WaterhouseKeith WaterhouseKeith Spencer Waterhouse CBE was a novelist, newspaper columnist, and the writer of many television series.-Biography:Keith Waterhouse was born in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, 80, British author and playwright - 6 September
- Catherine GaskinCatherine GaskinCatherine Gaskin was a romance novelist.She was born in Dundalk Bay, County Louth, Ireland in 1929. When she was only three months old, her parents moved to Australia, settling in Coogee, a suburb of Sydney, where she grew up. Her first novel This Other Eden, was written when she was 15 and...
, 80, Irish-born Australian novelist - Nada IveljićNada IveljićNada Iveljić was a Croatian children's writer. Her work includes eight books of poetry, a short story collection, a novel, over forty books and a series of picture books for children, and several plays, radio and TV games for adults and children.-References:...
, 79, Croatian writer
- Catherine Gaskin
- 10 September - Lyn HamiltonLyn HamiltonLyn Elizabeth Hamilton was a Canadian author of archaeological mystery novels.Born to John Hamilton, a lawyer and politician, and Gwen, a librarian, Lyn Hamilton grew up in Etobicoke and was educated at the University of Toronto...
, 65, Canadian author - 11 September - Jim CarrollJim CarrollJames Dennis "Jim" Carroll was an author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work The Basketball Diaries, which was made into the 1995 film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.-Biography:Carroll was born to a...
, 60, American author - 12 September
- William HoffmanWilliam Hoffman (author)William Hoffman was an American writer who published thirteen novels and four books of short stories. He lived in Charlotte Court House, Virginia....
, 84, American novelist - Antônio OlintoAntônio OlintoAntônio Olinto Marques da Rocha was a Brazilian writer.Among his work are included poetry, novels, literary criticism, political analysis, children's literature and dictionaries....
, 90, Brazilian writer
- William Hoffman
- 13 September - Sarah E. WrightSarah E. WrightSarah Elizabeth Wright was an American writer.Her novel This Child's Gonna Live, published in 1969, was hailed by critics. The New York Times named it "outstanding book of 1969" and a "small masterpiece".-Works:...
, 80, American novelist - 15 September - Trevor Rhone, 69, Jamaican playwright
- 19 September - Milton MeltzerMilton MeltzerMilton Meltzer was an American historian and author best known for his history nonfiction books on Jewish, African-American and American history...
, 94, American historian and author - 21 September - Junzo ShonoJunzo Shonowas a Japanese novelist. A native of Osaka, he began writing novels after World War II. He won the 1954 Akutagawa Prize for his book Purusaido Shokei...
, 88, Japanese author - 22 September - Kole ČašuleKole CasuleKole Čašule was a Macedonian essayist, dramatist, short story writer and ambassador. Casule was one of the founders of the Macedonian Writers' Association and served as the organization's president....
, 88, Macedonian writer - 24 September - Nelly ArcanNelly ArcanNelly Arcan was a Canadian novelist. Arcan was born Isabelle Fortier at Lac-Mégantic in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.-Biography:...
, 35, Canadian novelist - 25 September - Willy BreinholstWilly BreinholstWilly Breinholst was a Danish author, screenwriter, and humorist born in Fredensborg, Denmark.-Filmography:* Sommar och syndare * Elsk... din næste!...
, 91, Danish author - 1 October
- Otar ChiladzeOtar ChiladzeOtar Chiladze was a Georgian writer who played a prominent role in the resurrection of the Georgian prose in the post-Stalin era. His novels characteristically fuse Sumerian and Hellenic mythology with the predicaments of a modern Georgian intellectual...
, 76, Georgian writer - Cintio VitierCintio VitierCintio Vitier was a Cuban poet, essayist, and novelist. Upon winning the Juan Rulfo Prize, the award jury called him "one of the most important writers of his generation".-Early life:...
, 88, Cuban poet
- Otar Chiladze
- 4 October - Veikko HuovinenVeikko HuovinenVeikko Huovinen was a Finnish novelist known for his realism, pacifism, sharp intellect, and peculiar humor. He wrote 37 books.-Early life:...
, 82, Finnish writer - 29 November - Robert HoldstockRobert HoldstockRobert Paul Holdstock was an English novelist and author best known for his works of Celtic, Nordic, Gothic and Pictish fantasy literature, predominantly in the fantasy subgenre of mythic fiction....
, 61, British writer - 30 November - Milorad PavićMilorad Pavic (writer)Milorad Pavić was a Serbian poet, prose writer, translator, and literary historian. He was also a candidate for Nobel Prize in Literature....
, 80, Serbian writer - 5 December - William LedererWilliam LedererWilliam Julius Lederer, Jr. was an American author.-Biography:He was a US Naval Academy graduate in 1936. His first appointment was as the junior officer of a river gunboat on the Yangtze River....
, 97, American author - 7 December
- Carlene Hatcher PoliteCarlene Hatcher PoliteCarlene Hatcher Polite was an American writer.-Early life:Carlene Hatcher trained at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance and then danced professionally from 1955 to 1963 in New York and Detroit...
, 77, American novelist - Pyotr VailPyotr VailPyotr Lvovich Vail was a Russian author, journalist, essayist and deputy director of Radio Liberty's Russia service.Born in Riga 1949, he studied at the Moscow Polygraphic Institute. He moved to the United States in 1977, joining the station in the mid-1980s...
, 60, Russian essayist and journalist
- Carlene Hatcher Polite
- 15 December - Courtlandt BryanCourtlandt BryanCourtlandt Dixon Barnes Bryan , better known as C. D. B. Bryan, was an American author and journalist.-Biography:...
, 73, American author - 19 December - Loren SingerLoren SingerLoren Adelson Singer was an American novelist, best-known for his 1970 political thriller, The Parallax View, which was made into a successful 1974 film, of the same name, starring Warren Beatty, Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn and William Daniels.Singer was born in Buffalo, New York on March 5, 1923...
, 86, American novelist - 20 December - Vera RichVera RichVera Rich was a British poet, journalist, historian, and translator from Belarusian and Ukrainian.Born in London, she studied at St Hilda's College of University of Oxford and Bedford College, London...
, 73, British poet, journalist - 23 December - Grigory BaklanovGrigory BaklanovGrigory Yakovlevich Baklanov was a Russian novelist and editor, well known for his novels about World War II and as the editor of the literary monthly Znamya during the time of Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms.-Biography:Baklanov was born Grigory Yakovlevich Friedman in Voronezh...
, 86, Russian novelist - 25 December
- Vrindavanam VenugopalanVrindavanam VenugopalanVrindavanam Venugopalan was Editor of Viswakeralam Daily, Writer and Educationist from Kollam.-Educational Background:...
, 74, Indian writer - Rachel WetzsteonRachel Wetzsteon-Life:Born in New York City, New York, the daughter of editor Ross Wetzsteon , she graduated from Yale University in 1989, where she studied with Marie Borroff, and John Hollander....
, 42, American poet
- Vrindavanam Venugopalan
- 26 December
- Dennis BrutusDennis BrutusDennis Vincent Brutus was a South African activist, educator, journalist and poet best known for his campaign to have apartheid South Africa banned from the Olympic Games.-Life and work:...
, 85, South African poet - Norval WhiteNorval WhiteNorval Crawford White was an American architect, architectural historian and professor. He designed buildings throughout the U.S., but he is best known for his writing, particularly the AIA Guide to New York City . White was widely considered to be one of the great figures of New York architecture...
, 83, American author
- Dennis Brutus
See also
- 2009 in Australian literature2009 in Australian literatureThe year 2009 in Australian literature involves some significant new books, drama, poetry and events.For an overview of world literature see 2009 in literature.See also:2008 in Australian literature,2009 in Australia,...
- 2009 in comics2009 in comics-January:*January 1: The direct-to-DVD movie Hulk Vs was released.*January 6: The third and final volume of Hollow Fields has been released.-February:...
- List of literary awards
- List of poetry awards