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A Journey Through the Ages

Travel across the eras and meet the 212 authors whose lives and works shaped our library — from antiquity to the modern age.

Cosmos view
212 authors

Antiquity

750 BCE – 121 · 7 authors

Homer

Homer

c. 750 BCE

Greek

Ancient Greek poet (c. 8th Century BCE). Homer stands as the foundational figure of the We…

2 books
Aesop

Aesop

620 BCE – 564 BCE 56 yrs

Greek

Aesop (b. 620 BCE) was an ancient Greek storyteller and fabulist who is credited with init…

1 book
Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu

c. 544 BCE – 496 BCE 48 yrs

Chinese

Sun Tzu (c. 544 BC) was a Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher. He is tra…

1 book
Thucydides

Thucydides

460 BCE – 400 BCE 60 yrs

Greek

Thucydides (b. 460 BC) was an Athenian historian and military general. He is widely celebr…

1 book
Plato

Plato

428 BCE – 348 BCE 80 yrs

Greek

Plato (b. c. 427 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher and educator who is widely regarded …

1 book
Aristotle

Aristotle

384 BCE – 322 BCE 62 yrs

Greek

Aristotle (384–322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher and polymath who stands as one of …

1 book
Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius

121 – 180 59 yrs

Roman

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (b. 121) was a Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher who ruled the…

1 book

The Medieval Age

724 – 1226 · 4 authors

Abd Allah ibn al-Muqaffa'

Abd Allah ibn al-Muqaffa'

c. 724 – 757 33 yrs

Persian

Abdullah ibn al-Muqaffa (724 - 759 AD) was a writer, translator, and thinker of Persian or…

1 book
Al-Jahiz

Al-Jahiz

c. 776 – 868 92 yrs

Arab

Biography: Abu Uthman Amr ibn Bahr al-Kinani al-Basri, historically known as Al-Jahiz (c.…

1 book
Avicenna

Avicenna

980 – 1037 57 yrs

Persian

Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah ibn Sina (980 CE - 1037 CE), known in the West as "Avicenn…

3 books
Bar Hebraeus

Bar Hebraeus

1226 – 1286 60 yrs

Syriac

Abu al-Faraj Jamal al-Din ibn Harun al-Malati, known as Bar Hebraeus (1226 - 1286 AD), was…

1 book

The Renaissance

1469 – 1596 · 5 authors

Niccolò Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli

1469 – 1527 58 yrs

Italian

Italian diplomat, philosopher, and historian (1469 to 1527). Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machi…

1 book
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

1547 – 1616 69 yrs

Spanish

Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright (1547 to 1616). Miguel de Cervantes is the preemine…

1 book
William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

1564 – 1616 52 yrs

English

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) remains the most influential figure in the history of the …

1 book
Thomas Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes

1588 – 1679 91 yrs

English

Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) was an English philosopher whose deeply cynical, rigorously logi…

1 book
René Descartes

René Descartes

1596 – 1650 54 yrs

French

René Descartes (1596 to 1650), French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. René Desc…

2 books

The Age of Reason

1606 – 1694 · 11 authors

Pierre Corneille

Pierre Corneille

1606 – 1684 78 yrs

French

Pierre Corneille (1606–1684) was a preeminent French dramatist and poet who is widely rega…

7 books
Hercule-Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac

Hercule-Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac

1619 – 1655 36 yrs

French

Hercule-Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655) was a French writer, poet, and free-thi…

1 book
Jean de La Fontaine

Jean de La Fontaine

1621 – 1695 74 yrs

French

French poet, fabulist, and writer (1621 to 1695). Jean de La Fontaine was one of the most …

8 books
Molière

Molière

1622 – 1673 51 yrs

French

Molière (1622–1673), born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, is widely celebrated as the supreme mast…

20 books
Charles Perrault

Charles Perrault

1628 – 1703 75 yrs

French

Charles Perrault (1628–1703) was a French author, lawyer, and high-ranking civil servant w…

1 book
John Locke

John Locke

1632 – 1704 72 yrs

English

John Locke (1632–1704) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of…

1 book
Madame de Lafayette

Madame de Lafayette

1634 – 1693 59 yrs

French

Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne, Comtesse de La Fayette (1634-1693), was a French woma…

2 books
Jean Racine

Jean Racine

1639 – 1699 60 yrs

French

Jean Racine (1639–1699) was a preeminent French dramatist and one of the three great playw…

10 books
Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift

1667 – 1745 78 yrs

Irish

Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, and cleric (1667 to 1745). Jonathan…

2 books
Montesquieu

Montesquieu

1689 – 1755 66 yrs

French

Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (1689–1755) was a French la…

2 books
Voltaire

Voltaire

1694 – 1778 84 yrs

French

François-Marie Arouet, known by his pen name Voltaire (1694–1778), was born in Paris and w…

2 books

The Enlightenment

1706 – 1799 · 16 authors

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

1706 – 1790 84 yrs

American

Benjamin Franklin (b. 1706) was an American polymath, writer, scientist, and statesman who…

1 book
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

1712 – 1778 66 yrs

Swiss

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer whose po…

7 books
T. Smollett

T. Smollett

1721 – 1771 50 yrs

Scottish

Tobias Smollett (1721–1771) was a Scottish physician and author who became one of the defi…

2 books
Adam Smith

Adam Smith

1723 – 1790 67 yrs

Scottish

Adam Smith (b. 1723) was a Scottish philosopher and economist who is widely recognized as …

1 book
Olaudah Equiano

Olaudah Equiano

1745 – 1797 52 yrs

Nigerian

Olaudah Equiano (b. 1745) was an African-British abolitionist, writer, and merchant seaman…

1 book
François-René de Chateaubriand

François-René de Chateaubriand

1768 – 1848 80 yrs

French

François-René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848) was a French writer, diplomat, and statesman wh…

4 books
Jane Austen

Jane Austen

1775 – 1817 42 yrs

English

English novelist (1775 to 1817). Jane Austen was a preeminent figure in English literature…

1 book
Charles Lamb

Charles Lamb

1775 – 1834 59 yrs

English

Charles Lamb (1775–1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian who is best rememb…

1 book
Washington Irving

Washington Irving

1783 – 1859 76 yrs

American

Washington Irving (b. 1783) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, and …

1 book
Jacob Grimm

Jacob Grimm

1785 – 1863 78 yrs

German

German philologist, jurist, and mythologist. Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (1785 to 1863) was a…

5 books
Henri Guys

Henri Guys

1787 – 1877 90 yrs

French

Henri-Joseph Guys (1787–1878) was a French diplomat, orientalist, and travel writer who se…

1 book
James Fenimore Cooper

James Fenimore Cooper

1789 – 1851 62 yrs

American

James Fenimore Cooper (1789–1851) was the first great myth-maker of American literature, p…

2 books
Alphonse de Lamartine

Alphonse de Lamartine

1790 – 1869 79 yrs

French

Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (1790–1869) was a prominent French poet, statesm…

4 books
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

1797 – 1851 54 yrs

English

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797–1851) was born into radical intellectual royalty, the da…

1 book
Honoré de Balzac

Honoré de Balzac

1799 – 1850 51 yrs

French

French novelist and playwright (1799 to 1850). Honoré de Balzac was a titan of world liter…

24 books
Countess of Ségur

Countess of Ségur

1799 – 1874 75 yrs

French

Sophie Rostopchine, Comtesse de Segur (1799–1874), was a prolific French novelist of Russi…

5 books

The Romantic Age

1802 – 1849 · 41 authors

Alexandre Dumas

Alexandre Dumas

1802 – 1870 68 yrs

French

Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870) lived with an unbridled energy that mirrored the grand scale o…

9 books
Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo

1802 – 1885 83 yrs

French

Victor Marie Hugo (1802–1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist who became the pr…

20 books
Jacob Abbott

Jacob Abbott

1803 – 1879 76 yrs

American

Jacob Abbott (1803–1879) was a prolific American author and educator best known as a pione…

1 book
Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne

1804 – 1864 60 yrs

American

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) remains the undisputed master of American dark romanticism…

1 book
George Sand

George Sand

1804 – 1876 72 yrs

French

George Sand (1804–1876), born Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, was a pioneering French noveli…

7 books
Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen

1805 – 1875 70 yrs

Danish

Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) was a Danish author, poet, and playwright who achieved…

1 book
John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill

1806 – 1873 67 yrs

English

John Stuart Mill (b. 1806) was a British philosopher, political economist, and civil serva…

1 book
Louis Sédillot

Louis Sédillot

1808 – 1875 67 yrs

French

Louis-Amélie Sédillot (1808–1875) was a French historian, orientalist, and scholar known f…

1 book
Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin

1809 – 1882 73 yrs

English

Charles Darwin (1809–1882) possessed a rare, radical patience. While his five-year voyage …

1 book
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

1810 – 1865 55 yrs

English

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810–1865) was a prominent English novelist and short story wr…

1 book
Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

1812 – 1870 58 yrs

English

English novelist and social critic (1812 to 1870). Charles John Huffam Dickens was the def…

5 books
Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner

1813 – 1883 70 yrs

German

Richard Wagner (1813–1883) was a titanic, fiercely polarizing figure in 19th-century Germa…

1 book
Linda Brent

Linda Brent

1813 – 1897 84 yrs

American

Linda Brent (b. 1813), the pen name of Harriet Jacobs, was an American author, abolitionis…

1 book
Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Brontë

1816 – 1855 39 yrs

English

Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855) was a pioneering English novelist whose fiercely independent…

1 book
Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau

1817 – 1862 45 yrs

American

American naturalist, philosopher, and essayist (1817 to 1862). Henry David Thoreau was a l…

2 books
Emily Brontë

Emily Brontë

1818 – 1848 30 yrs

English

Emily Jane Brontë (1818–1848) was an English novelist and poet who remains one of the most…

1 book
Karl Marx

Karl Marx

1818 – 1883 65 yrs

German

Karl Marx (1818–1883) was a German philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary soc…

1 book
Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass

1818 – 1895 77 yrs

American

Frederick Douglass (b. 1818) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer…

1 book
George Eliot

George Eliot

1819 – 1880 61 yrs

English

George Eliot (1819–1880) born Mary Ann Evans, possessed one of the most formidable intelle…

1 book
Herman Melville

Herman Melville

1819 – 1891 72 yrs

American

Herman Melville (1819–1891) was an American literary titan whose most profound work went e…

1 book
Reinhart Dozy

Reinhart Dozy

1820 – 1883 63 yrs

Dutch

Reinhart Pieter Anne Dozy (b. 1820) was a distinguished Dutch Orientalist, historian, and …

1 book
Friedrich Engels

Friedrich Engels

1820 – 1895 75 yrs

German

Friedrich Engels (b. 1820) was a German political philosopher, social scientist, and journ…

1 book
Fortuné du Boisgobey

Fortuné du Boisgobey

1821 – 1891 70 yrs

French

Fortuné Du Boisgobey (1821–1891) picked up the torch of the French detective novel when th…

1 book
Fyodor Dostoevsky

Fyodor Dostoevsky

1821 – 1881 60 yrs

Russian

Russian novelist, philosopher, and essayist (1821 to 1881). Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky…

22 books
Gustave Flaubert

Gustave Flaubert

1821 – 1880 59 yrs

French

Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880) was a titan of French literature and the demanding architect …

9 books
Charles Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire

1821 – 1867 46 yrs

French

Charles Pierre Baudelaire (1821–1867) was a French poet, essayist, and art critic who is w…

3 books
Alexandre Dumas (fils)

Alexandre Dumas (fils)

1824 – 1895 71 yrs

French

Alexandre Dumas fils (1824–1895) While his father conquered the world with swashbuckling h…

1 book
Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy

1828 – 1910 82 yrs

Russian

Born into the highest echelons of Russian nobility, Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828–1…

25 books
Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen

1828 – 1906 78 yrs

Norwegian

Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) was a Norwegian playwright whose uncompromising vision dismantled…

1 book
Jules Verne

Jules Verne

1828 – 1905 77 yrs

French

Jules Gabriel Verne (1828-1905) was a globally renowned French writer, considered one of t…

64 books
Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll

1832 – 1898 66 yrs

English

Lewis Carroll (1832–1898) the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, led a fascinating doub…

1 book
Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott

1832 – 1888 56 yrs

American

Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888) grew up in the intellectual heart of 19th-century New Englan…

1 book
Mark Twain

Mark Twain

1835 – 1910 75 yrs

American

Mark Twain (1835–1910), born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is widely celebrated as the father …

3 books
Alphonse Daudet

Alphonse Daudet

1840 – 1897 57 yrs

French

Alphonse Daudet (1840–1897) was a prominent French novelist, playwright, and short story w…

8 books
Émile Zola

Émile Zola

1840 – 1902 62 yrs

French

Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (1840–1902) was a French novelist, playwright, and jour…

56 books
Gustave Le Bon

Gustave Le Bon

1841 – 1931 90 yrs

French

Gustave Le Bon (1841 - 1931) was a renowned French physician, historian, and social psycho…

4 books
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

1844 – 1900 56 yrs

German

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (b. 1844) was a German philosopher, cultural critic, and class…

5 books
Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker

1847 – 1912 65 yrs

Irish

Bram Stoker (1847–1912) was an Irish author whose name became synonymous with the most end…

1 book
Frances Hodgson Burnett

Frances Hodgson Burnett

1849 – 1924 75 yrs

English

Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (b. 1849) was a British-American novelist and playwright bes…

1 book
Robert Barr

Robert Barr

1849 – 1912 63 yrs

Scottish

Robert Barr (b. 1849) was a Scottish-Canadian novelist, journalist, and short story writer…

2 books
Frances Hodgson Burnett

Frances Hodgson Burnett

1849 – 1924 75 yrs

English

Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was a British-American novelist and playwright, best k…

1 book

The Victorian Era

1850 – 1899 · 79 authors

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson

1850 – 1894 44 yrs

Scottish

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer celebr…

1 book
William Chapman

William Chapman

1850 – 1917 67 yrs

Canadian

William Chapman (1850–1917) was a prominent French-Canadian poet, journalist, and civil se…

1 book
Guy de Maupassant

Guy de Maupassant

1850 – 1893 43 yrs

French

Guy de Maupassant (1850–1893) was a French writer and journalist who is widely celebrated …

1 book
Edward Page Mitchell

Edward Page Mitchell

1852 – 1927 75 yrs

American

Edward Page Mitchell (1852–1927) was an American journalist and author who stood as a foun…

1 book
Ya'qub Sarruf

Ya'qub Sarruf

1852 – 1927 75 yrs

Lebanese

Yaqub Sarruf (1852-1927) was a pioneering Lebanese journalist, novelist, and publisher who…

1 book
Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

1854 – 1900 46 yrs

Irish

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was the dazzling, controversial epicenter of late-Victorian London…

3 books
Stanley Lane-Poole

Stanley Lane-Poole

1854 – 1931 77 yrs

English

Stanley Edward Lane-Poole (b. 1854) was a British orientalist, archaeologist, and historia…

1 book
Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud

1856 – 1939 83 yrs

Austrian

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) was an Austrian neurologist who fundamentally shattered the mode…

3 books
L. Frank Baum

L. Frank Baum

1856 – 1919 63 yrs

American

Lyman Frank Baum (b. 1856) was an American author, playwright, and journalist best known a…

1 book
Bernard Shaw

Bernard Shaw

1856 – 1950 94 yrs

Irish

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) was an Irish playwright, critic, and political activist wh…

1 book
Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad

1857 – 1924 67 yrs

Polish

Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) was a Polish-British novelist and short-story writer who is wide…

2 books
Edith Nesbit

Edith Nesbit

1858 – 1924 66 yrs

English

Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) was an English novelist and poet who revolutionized children's li…

2 books
Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle

1859 – 1930 71 yrs

Scottish

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a Scottish physician who revolutionized the mystery…

1 book
J. M. Barrie

J. M. Barrie

1860 – 1937 77 yrs

Scottish

James Matthew Barrie (1860–1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright whose enduring leg…

1 book
Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

1860 – 1935 75 yrs

American

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935) was a trailblazing American feminist, sociologist, an…

1 book
Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov

1860 – 1904 44 yrs

Russian

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (b. 1860) was a Russian physician, playwright, and short-story wri…

7 books
As'ad Khalil Dagher

As'ad Khalil Dagher

1860 – 1935 75 yrs

Lebanese

As'ad Khalil Dagher (1860–1935) was a Lebanese writer, historian, and translator, regarded…

1 book
Jurji Zaydan

Jurji Zaydan

1861 – 1914 53 yrs

Lebanese

Jurji Habib Zaydan (1861 - 1914) was a Lebanese writer, novelist, and historian, considere…

15 books
Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton

1862 – 1937 75 yrs

American

Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and designer who b…

6 books
Antony Hope

Antony Hope

1863 – 1933 70 yrs

English

Anthony Hope Hawkins (1863–1933), known professionally as Antony Hope, was a prolific Brit…

1 book
Maurice Leblanc

Maurice Leblanc

1864 – 1941 77 yrs

French

Maurice Marie Émile Leblanc (1864-1941) was a renowned French novelist and short story wri…

2 books
Robert W. Chambers

Robert W. Chambers

1865 – 1933 68 yrs

American

Robert William Chambers (1865–1933) was a prolific American artist and author who achieved…

1 book
Elizabeth Von Arnim

Elizabeth Von Arnim

1866 – 1941 75 yrs

English

Born Mary Annette Beauchamp in Australia and raised in England, Elizabeth von Arnim (1866–…

1 book
H. G. Wells

H. G. Wells

1866 – 1946 80 yrs

English

Herbert George Wells known as H. G. Wells (1866–1946) didn't merely predict the future; he…

43 books
Najib al-Haddad

Najib al-Haddad

1867 – 1899 32 yrs

Lebanese

Sheikh Najib Suleiman Al-Haddad (1867–1899 AD) was a Lebanese journalist, translator, poet…

1 book
W. E. B. Du Bois

W. E. B. Du Bois

1868 – 1963 95 yrs

American

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868–1963) was an American sociologist, historian, civil…

1 book
Felix Salten

Felix Salten

1869 – 1945 76 yrs

Austrian

Born Siegmund Salzmann in Budapest and raised in Vienna, Felix Salten (1869–1945) was a ce…

1 book
Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi

1869 – 1948 79 yrs

Indian

Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist (18…

1 book
Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Lenin

1870 – 1924 54 yrs

Russian

Biography: Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (born 1870) was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and…

1 book
Marcel Proust

Marcel Proust

1871 – 1922 51 yrs

French

French novelist, literary critic, and essayist (1871–1922). Valentin Louis Georges Eugène …

1 book
J. M. Synge

J. M. Synge

1871 – 1909 38 yrs

Irish

Edmund John Millington Synge (1871–1909) was an Irish playwright, poet, and folklore colle…

1 book
Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell

1872 – 1970 98 yrs

English

Bertrand Arthur William Russell (1872-1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathemati…

1 book
Nicola Haddad

Nicola Haddad

1872 – 1954 82 yrs

Lebanese

Nicola Haddad (1878–1954) was a pioneering Lebanese-Egyptian journalist, sociologist, and …

3 books
Nicola Fayyad

Nicola Fayyad

1873 – 1958 85 yrs

Lebanese

Nicola Fayyad (b. 1873) was a Lebanese physician, poet, and orator who played a significan…

1 book
L. M. Montgomery

L. M. Montgomery

1874 – 1942 68 yrs

Canadian

Canadian novelist, poet, and short story writer (1874 to 1942). Lucy Maud Montgomery was a…

2 books
Churchill, Winston S. [Spencer]

Churchill, Winston S. [Spencer]

1874 – 1965 91 yrs

English

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (b. 1874) was a British statesman, military officer, and…

1 book
Ahmad Hafiz Awad

Ahmad Hafiz Awad

1874 – 1950 76 yrs

Egyptian

Ahmed Hafez Awad (1874–1950) was an Egyptian journalist, historian, and political thinker,…

1 book
Frederick H. Martens

Frederick H. Martens

1874 – 1932 58 yrs

American

Frederick Herman Martens (1874–1932) was a prolific American writer, music journalist, and…

1 book
Jack London

Jack London

1876 – 1916 40 yrs

American

John Griffith London (b. 1876) was an American novelist, journalist, and social activist w…

4 books
Muhammad al-Khidr Husayn

Muhammad al-Khidr Husayn

1876 – 1958 82 yrs

Tunisian

Sheikh Muhammad al-Khidr Husayn (born 1876) was a Tunisian Muslim religious scholar of Alg…

1 book
Ameen Rihani

Ameen Rihani

1876 – 1940 64 yrs

Lebanese

Biography: Ameen Fares Rihani (1876–1940) was a Lebanese-American essayist, poet, novelis…

13 books
Alphonse de Châteaubriant

Alphonse de Châteaubriant

1877 – 1951 74 yrs

French

Alphonse de Chateaubriant (1877–1951) began his career as a celebrated voice of the French…

1 book
E. M. Forster

E. M. Forster

1879 – 1970 91 yrs

English

E. M. Forster (1879–1970) was a masterful English novelist whose quiet, elegant prose mask…

1 book
George Tannous

George Tannous

1879 – 1926 47 yrs

Lebanese

Biography: George Tannous (1880–1926) was a prominent Egyptian writer and journalist who m…

1 book
Ibrahim Zeidan

Ibrahim Zeidan

1879 – 1956 77 yrs

Lebanese

Ibrahim Zaidan (1879–1956) was a Lebanese-Egyptian writer, publisher, and educator, widely…

1 book
Cecil Delisle Burns

Cecil Delisle Burns

1879 – 1942 63 yrs

English

Cecil Delisle Burns (b. 1879) was a British author, lecturer, and political philosopher be…

1 book
Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein

1879 – 1955 76 yrs

German

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist widely acknowledged as…

2 books
P. G. Wodehouse

P. G. Wodehouse

1881 – 1975 94 yrs

English

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881–1975) was an English novelist, playwright, and humori…

20 books
Stefan Zweig

Stefan Zweig

1881 – 1942 61 yrs

Austrian

Stefan Zweig (b. 1881) was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist, and biographer wh…

1 book
Muhammad Salim al-Jundi

Muhammad Salim al-Jundi

1881 – 1955 74 yrs

Syrian

Muhammad Salim al-Jundi (1881) was a Syrian linguist, teacher, historian, and poet, consid…

1 book
Emil Ludwig

Emil Ludwig

1881 – 1948 67 yrs

German

Emil Ludwig (b. 1881) was a German-Swiss author and biographer known for popularizing a na…

1 book
James Joyce

James Joyce

1882 – 1941 59 yrs

Irish

James Joyce (1882–1941) was a monumental figure of literary modernism who radically reinve…

1 book
A. A. Milne

A. A. Milne

1882 – 1956 74 yrs

English

Alan Alexander Milne (b. 1882) was an English author, playwright, and poet best known for …

1 book
Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf

1882 – 1941 59 yrs

English

Adeline Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) was an English writer and publisher who became one of t…

3 books
Khalil Gibran

Khalil Gibran

1883 – 1931 48 yrs

Lebanese

Gibran Khalil Gibran (1883–1931) was a Lebanese-American writer, poet, and visual artist w…

21 books
Hugh Walpole

Hugh Walpole

1884 – 1941 57 yrs

English

Hugh Seymour Walpole (1884–1941) was an English novelist, critic, and dramatist who became…

4 books
Ibrahim Ramzi

Ibrahim Ramzi

1884 – 1949 65 yrs

Egyptian

Ibrahim Ramzi (1884–1949) was an Egyptian playwright, essayist, and translator who stood a…

1 book
Will Durant

Will Durant

1885 – 1981 96 yrs

American

Will Durant (1885–1981) was a visionary American historian and philosopher who dedicated h…

1 book
Maroun Abboud

Maroun Abboud

1886 – 1962 76 yrs

Lebanese

Maroun Abboud (1886–1962) was a pioneering Lebanese writer, literary critic, and educator …

32 books
Antun al-Jumayyil

Antun al-Jumayyil

1887 – 1948 61 yrs

Lebanese

Antun bin Jamil Al-Jumayyil (1887–1948) was a prominent Lebanese writer, journalist, and p…

3 books
Muhammad Husayn Haykal

Muhammad Husayn Haykal

1888 – 1956 68 yrs

Egyptian

Dr. Muhammad Husayn Haykal (1888–1956) was a prominent Egyptian man of letters, novelist, …

4 books
Kadria Hussein

Kadria Hussein

1888 – 1955 67 yrs

Egyptian

Kadriya Hussein (1888–1955) was an Egyptian princess, writer, painter, and prominent intel…

3 books
Ludwig Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein

1889 – 1951 62 yrs

Austrian

Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein (b. 1889) was an Austrian-British philosopher who is wide…

1 book
Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad

Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad

1889 – 1964 75 yrs

Egyptian

Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad (1889–1964) was an Egyptian journalist, poet, critic, and historian…

25 books
Taha Hussein

Taha Hussein

1889 – 1973 84 yrs

Egyptian

Biography: Taha Hussein (1889–1973) was an Egyptian writer, intellectual, and scholar who…

5 books
Naguib el-Rihani

Naguib el-Rihani

1889 – 1949 60 yrs

Egyptian

Naguib El-Rihani (1889–1949) was an Egyptian author, actor, director, and theater figure, …

1 book
Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

1890 – 1976 86 yrs

English

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (1890–1976) was an English writer and playwright. She i…

6 books
W. E. Johns

W. E. Johns

1893 – 1968 75 yrs

English

CAPTAIN William Earl Johns (1893–1968), widely known by his pen names W. E. Johns and E. W…

6 books
Dorothy Leigh Sayers

Dorothy Leigh Sayers

1893 – 1957 64 yrs

English

Dorothy Leigh Sayers (1893–1957) was an English crime novelist, poet, playwright, essayist…

1 book
Khalil Mardam

Khalil Mardam

1895 – 1959 64 yrs

Syrian

Khalil Mardam Bey (1895–1959) was a prominent Syrian poet, scholar, and minister, widely c…

1 book
F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald

1896 – 1940 44 yrs

American

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald known widely as F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) was the undis…

1 book
Asad Rustum

Asad Rustum

1897 – 1965 68 yrs

Lebanese

Asad Rustum (1897–1965), a Lebanese national, was the "Historian of the See of Antioch" an…

7 books
Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton

1897 – 1968 71 yrs

English

Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English children's writer whose prolific output made h…

14 books
Abbas Hafez

Abbas Hafez

1897 – 1959 62 yrs

Egyptian

Abbas Hafez (1892–1959) was an Egyptian writer, journalist, literary critic, and prolific …

1 book
C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis

1898 – 1963 65 yrs

Northern Irish

Clive Staples Lewis (b. 1898) was a British writer, scholar, and lay theologian who became…

12 books
Scott O'Dell

Scott O'Dell

1898 – 1989 91 yrs

American

Scott O'Dell (1898–1989) was an American author and journalist who became one of the most …

1 book
Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway

1899 – 1961 62 yrs

American

Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) fundamentally altered the course of modern fiction with his s…

16 books
Andrei Platonov

Andrei Platonov

1899 – 1951 52 yrs

Russian

Andrey Platonovich Platonov (1899–1951) was a Soviet Russian novelist, short story writer,…

1 book
Muhammad Yusuf Musa

Muhammad Yusuf Musa

1899 – 1963 64 yrs

Egyptian

Biography: Dr. Muhammad Yusuf Musa (1899–1963 AD) was an Egyptian jurist, legal theorist, …

1 book

The Modern Age

1900 – 1974 · 42 authors

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

1900 – 1944 44 yrs

French

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944) was a pioneering French aviator and writer who transl…

2 books
James Hilton

James Hilton

1900 – 1954 54 yrs

English

James Hilton (1900-1954) was an English novelist and screenwriter whose imaginative storyt…

3 books
George Orwell

George Orwell

1903 – 1950 47 yrs

English

George Orwell (1903–1950), born Eric Arthur Blair, was an English novelist, essayist, and …

12 books
Elias Abu Chabake

Elias Abu Chabake

1903 – 1947 44 yrs

Lebanese

Elias Abu Chabake (1903-1947) was a Lebanese poet, writer, and translator, considered one …

9 books
Blair, Eric Arthur

Blair, Eric Arthur

1903 – 1950 47 yrs

English

Eric Arthur Blair (b. 1903), who wrote under the pen name George Orwell, was an English no…

2 books
Evelyn Waugh

Evelyn Waugh

1903 – 1966 63 yrs

English

Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (b. 1903) was an acclaimed English novelist, travel writer, a…

1 book
H. Beam Piper

H. Beam Piper

1904 – 1964 60 yrs

American

Henry Beam Piper (1904–1964) was an American science fiction author known for his intricat…

1 book
Antoun Saadeh

Antoun Saadeh

1904 – 1949 45 yrs

Lebanese

Antoun Saadeh (1904-1949) was a Lebanese writer, thinker, and political philosopher, the f…

2 books
Lester Dent

Lester Dent

1904 – 1959 55 yrs

American

Lester Dent (b. 1904) was an American pulp fiction author and master of adventure storytel…

13 books
Robert Byron

Robert Byron

1905 – 1941 36 yrs

English

Robert Byron (b. 1905) was an English travel writer, art critic, and historian best known …

1 book
Robert E. Howard

Robert E. Howard

1906 – 1936 30 yrs

American

Robert Ervin Howard (1906–1936) was an American author and poet widely regarded as the fat…

1 book
Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson

1907 – 1964 57 yrs

American

Rachel Louise Carson (b. 1907) was an American marine biologist, conservationist, and writ…

1 book
Wright, Richard

Wright, Richard

1908 – 1960 52 yrs

American

Richard Wright (1908–1960) was an influential African American author who pioneered the so…

1 book
Albert Camus

Albert Camus

1913 – 1960 47 yrs

French

French writer, philosopher, and journalist (1913 to 1960). Albert Camus was a pivotal figu…

2 books
Virgil Gheorghiu

Virgil Gheorghiu

1916 – 1992 76 yrs

Romanian

Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu (1916–1992) was a Romanian novelist and Eastern Orthodox pries…

2 books
Alexander Schmemann

Alexander Schmemann

1921 – 1983 62 yrs

Russian

Alexander Schmemann (1921–1983) was a Russian-American Eastern Orthodox priest, theologian…

1 book
Wolfgang Borchert

Wolfgang Borchert

1921 – 1947 26 yrs

German

Wolfgang Borchert (b. 1921) was a German author, playwright, and poet who became one of th…

1 book
Amin Salama

Amin Salama

1921 – 1998 77 yrs

Egyptian

Biography: Amin Salama (1921–1998) was a prominent Egyptian translator, scholar, and writ…

3 books
Metropolitan George Khodr

Metropolitan George Khodr

1923 – present

Lebanese

Metropolitan of Mount Lebanon, theologian, and luminous writer (born 1923). George Khodr i…

1 book
Harry Harrison

Harry Harrison

1925 – 2012 87 yrs

American

Harry Maxwell Harrison (1925–2012) was an American science fiction author, illustrator, an…

1 book
Costi Bendaly

Costi Bendaly

1926 – 2013 87 yrs

Lebanese

Dr. Costi Bendaly (1926–2013) was a prominent Lebanese thinker, educator, psychologist, an…

1 book
Tharwat Abaza

Tharwat Abaza

1927 – 2002 75 yrs

Egyptian

Sarwat Abaza (1927–2002) was a prominent Egyptian novelist, journalist, and playwright who…

5 books
Yusuf Idris

Yusuf Idris

1927 – 1991 64 yrs

Egyptian

Biography: Youssef Idris (1927–1991) was an Egyptian physician, playwright, and author, w…

17 books
Abd al-Ghaffar Makkawi

Abd al-Ghaffar Makkawi

1930 – 2012 82 yrs

Egyptian

Abdel Ghaffar Makkawi (1930–2012) was a prominent Egyptian man of letters, philosopher, an…

6 books
Charles Alexander Pasternak

Charles Alexander Pasternak

1930 – present

English

Biography: Charles Alexander Pasternak (born 1930) is a distinguished British biochemist,…

1 book
Alice Munro

Alice Munro

1931 – 2024 93 yrs

Canadian

Alice Ann Munro (b. 1931) was an acclaimed Canadian short story writer widely considered o…

13 books
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

1931 – 2022 91 yrs

Tibetan

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (1931–2022) was a Tibetan Buddhist monk, meditation teacher, scholar,…

4 books
Shawqi Abd al-Hakim

Shawqi Abd al-Hakim

1934 – 2003 69 yrs

Egyptian

Shawqi Abd al-Hakim (1934–2003) was an Egyptian playwright, folklore researcher, and think…

3 books
Kallistos Ware

Kallistos Ware

1934 – 2022 88 yrs

English

Kallistos Ware (1934–2022), born Timothy Richard Ware, was an English Eastern Orthodox bis…

2 books
Edward Said

Edward Said

1935 – 2003 68 yrs

Palestinian-american

Biography: Edward Wadie Said (born 1935) was a Palestinian-American literary theorist, cu…

2 books
Hasan Hanafi

Hasan Hanafi

1935 – 2021 86 yrs

Egyptian

Hassan Hanafi (1935–2021) was an influential Egyptian philosopher, academic, and public in…

1 book
Fouad Daaboul

Fouad Daaboul

1941 – present

Lebanese

Fouad Daaboul is a renowned Lebanese media figure, journalist, and political analyst, wide…

2 books
Father Ibrahim Sarrouj

Father Ibrahim Sarrouj

1942 – present

Lebanese

Priest, intellectual, and library founder (born in 1942). Father Ibrahim Sarrouj is a Leba…

1 book
Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

1945 – present

Greek

Metropolitan Hierotheos, Metropolitan of Nafpaktos (born 1945), is a Greek Eastern Orthodo…

1 book
Sayyid al-Qimni

Sayyid al-Qimni

1947 – 2022 75 yrs

Egyptian

Sayyid al-Qemany (1947–2022) was a prominent Egyptian historian, academic, and secular int…

7 books
Ahmad Qasim Al-Ariqi

Ahmad Qasim Al-Ariqi

1958 – present

Yemeni

Ahmed Qasim Ali Al-Areqi (born 1958) is a prominent Yemeni writer, pharmacist, and novelis…

1 book
Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin

Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin

1963 – present

Sudanese

Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin (b. 1963) is a celebrated Sudanese novelist and short story writer …

1 book
Gaby Fouad Daaboul

Gaby Fouad Daaboul

1968 – present

Lebanese

Gaby Fouad Daboul (lawyer) is a contemporary Lebanese poet and writer, considered one of t…

1 book
Sally-Ann Ashton

Sally-Ann Ashton

1969 – present

English

Dr. Sally-Ann Ashton, born in 1969, is a British interdisciplinary scholar, researcher, a…

1 book
John R. Bradley

John R. Bradley

1970 – 2020 50 yrs

English

John R. Bradley (born 1970) is a British journalist, author, and Middle East specialist. H…

2 books
Father Nehme Saliba

Father Nehme Saliba

1974 – present

Lebanese

Priest, researcher, and academic (contemporary). Father Nema Saliba is a pastor in the Gre…

3 books
Mohamed Sameh El-Said El-Sebaei

Mohamed Sameh El-Said El-Sebaei

1974 – present

Egyptian

Mohamed Sameh El-Said El-Sebai (b. 1974) is an Egyptian writer, critic, and architect. He …

1 book

Timeless & Anonymous

Anonymous works & undated voices · 7 authors

Alfred de Musset

Alfred de Musset

Date unknown

8 books
Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe

Date unknown

1 book
Faraj Jubran

Faraj Jubran

Date unknown

Egyptian

Faraj Jubran was a prominent Egyptian writer, journalist, and translator, renowned for his…

1 book
Monastery of Saint George - Deir el-Harf, Lebanon

Monastery of Saint George - Deir el-Harf, Lebanon

Date unknown

An Orthodox monastic community and spiritual destination (its modern revival was launched …

1 book
United States. Office of Strategic Services

United States. Office of Strategic Services

Date unknown

The United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the premier intelligence agency o…

1 book
Various Authors

Various Authors

Date unknown

1 book
World Heritage

World Heritage

Date unknown

Biography: "From World Heritage" (Min al-Turath al-Alami) is a literary designation used …

6 books
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