This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2024.
Anniversaries
*
30 January
Events Pre-1600
* 1018 – Poland and the Holy Roman Empire conclude the Peace of Bautzen.
* 1287 – King Wareru founds the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, and proclaims independence from the Pagan Kingdom.
1601–1900
* 1607 – An est ...
–
Lloyd Alexander
Lloyd Chudley Alexander (January 30, 1924 – May 17, 2007) was an American author of more than 40 books, primarily fantasy novels for children's literature, children and young adults. Over his seven-decade career, Alexander wrote 48 books, and ...
was born in 1924 (100th Anniversary).
*
19 April
Events Pre-1600
*AD 65 – The freedman Milichus betrays Piso's plot to kill the Emperor Nero and all of the conspirators are arrested.
* 531 – Battle of Callinicum: A Byzantine army under Belisarius is defeated by the Persians ...
–
Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
died of fever in
Missolonghi
Missolonghi or Mesolongi (, ) is a municipality of 32,048 people (according to the 2021 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis Mesolongiou (). Missolon ...
, Greece (200th Anniversary).
*
11 May
Events Pre-1600
* 330 – Constantine the Great dedicates the much-expanded and rebuilt city of Byzantium, changing its name to New Rome and declaring it the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
* 868 – A copy of the Diamond S ...
– On this day 100 years ago,
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American Colloquialism, colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New E ...
received his first
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
for the book ''
New Hampshire: A Poem with Notes and Grace Notes''.
*
2 August
Events Pre-1600
* 338 BC – A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Battle of Chaeronea, securing Macedonian hegemony in Greece and the Aegean.
* 216 BC – The Carthaginian ...
–
James Baldwin
James Arthur Baldwin (né Jones; August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer and civil rights activist who garnered acclaim for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. His 1953 novel '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'' has been ranked ...
was born in 1924 (100th Anniversary).
*
5 August
Events Pre-1600
*AD 25 – Guangwu claims the throne as Emperor of China, restoring the Han dynasty after the collapse of the short-lived Xin dynasty.
* 70 – Fires resulting from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem are ...
–
Harold Gray's ''
Little Orphan Annie
''Little Orphan Annie'' was a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and print syndication#Comic strip syndication, syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James ...
'' comic strip was first published in the New York ''
Daily News'' (100th Anniversary).
*
30 September
Events Pre-1600
* 489 – The Ostrogoths under Theoderic the Great defeat the forces of Odoacer for the second time.
* 737 – The Turgesh drive back an Umayyad invasion of Khuttal, follow them south of the Oxus, and capture their ...
-
Truman Capote
Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...
was born in 1924 (100th Anniversary).
*
5 October -
José Donoso was born (100th Anniversary).
*
15 October
Events Pre-1600
*1066 – Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later.
*1211 ...
– Éditions du Sagittaire published
André Breton
André Robert Breton (; ; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') ...
's ''
Surrealist Manifesto
The Surrealist Manifesto refers to several publications by Yvan Goll and André Breton, leaders of rival Surrealism, surrealist groups. Goll and Breton both published manifestos in October 1924 titled ''Manifeste du surréalisme''. Breton wrote ...
'' (100th Anniversary).
*100th anniversary of the publication of
**''
A Passage to India
''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th-century English liter ...
'' by
E. M. Forster
Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author. He is best known for his novels, particularly '' A Room with a View'' (1908), ''Howards End'' (1910) and '' A Passage to India'' (1924). He also wrote numerous shor ...
**''
The Magic Mountain
''The Magic Mountain'' (, ) is a novel by Thomas Mann. It was first published in Germany in November 1924. Since then, it has gone through numerous editions and been translated into many languages. It is widely considered a seminal work of 20t ...
'' by
Thomas Mann
Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novell ...
**''
The King of Elfland's Daughter'' by
Lord Dunsany
Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany (; 24 July 1878 – 25 October 1957), commonly known as Lord Dunsany, was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist. He published more than 90 books during his lifetime, and his output consist ...
**''
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair
''Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair'' () is a poetry collection by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Published in June 1924, the book launched Neruda to fame at the young age of 19 and is one of the most renowned literary works of the 20th cen ...
'' by
Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...
New books
''Dates after each title indicate U.S. publication, unless otherwise indicated.''
Fiction
Children and young adults
Poetry
Drama
Nonfiction
Biography and memoirs
Deaths
*
January 22
Events Pre-1600
* 613 – Eight-month-old Heraclius Constantine is crowned as co-emperor ('' Caesar'') by his father Heraclius at Constantinople.
* 871 – Battle of Basing: The West Saxons led by King Æthelred I are defeated b ...
–
Elke Erb, German author and poet, 85
*
January 24
Events Pre-1600
* 41 – Claudius is proclaimed Roman emperor by the Praetorian Guard after they assassinate the previous emperor, his nephew Caligula.
* 914 – Start of the First Fatimid invasion of Egypt.
* 1438 – The Co ...
–
N. Scott Momaday
Navarre Scotte Momaday (February 27, 1934–January 24, 2024) was a Kiowa and American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. His novel ''House Made of Dawn'' was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969 in literature, 1969, and ...
, American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner in 1969.
*
March 22
Events Pre-1600
* 106 – Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea.
* 235 – Roman emperor Severus Alexander is murdered, marking the start of the Crisis of the Third Century.
* 871 – Æthel ...
–
Laurent de Brunhoff, French children's book writer and illustrator, 98
*
April 2
Events Pre-1600
* 1513 – Having spotted land on March 27, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on what is now the U.S. state of Florida, landing somewhere between the modern city of St. Augustine and the mouth of the St ...
–
John Barth
John Simmons Barth (; May 27, 1930 – April 2, 2024) was an American writer best known for his postmodern and metafictional fiction. His most highly regarded and influential works were published in the 1960s, and include '' The Sot-Weed Facto ...
, American fiction writer, 93
*
April 2
Events Pre-1600
* 1513 – Having spotted land on March 27, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on what is now the U.S. state of Florida, landing somewhere between the modern city of St. Augustine and the mouth of the St ...
–
Maryse Condé
Maryse Condé (née Marise Liliane Appoline Boucolon; 11 February 1934 – 2 April 2024) was a French novelist, critic, and playwright from the French Overseas department and region of Guadeloupe. She was also an academic, whose teaching car ...
, Guadeloupean novelist and playwright, 90
*
April 4
Events Pre-1600
* 503 BC – Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrates a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines.
* 190 – Dong Zhuo has his troops evacuate the capital Luoyang and burn it to the ground.
* 611 &nd ...
–
Lynne Reid Banks
Lynne Reid Banks (; 31 July 1929 – 4 April 2024) was a British author of books for children and adults, including ''The Indian in the Cupboard'', which has sold over 15 million copies and has been successfully adapted to film. Her first novel ...
, English novelist, 94
*
April 27
Events Pre-1600
* 247 – Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome with a celebration of the '' ludi saeculares''.
* 395 – Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes ...
–
C. J. Sansom
Christopher John Sansom (9 December 1952 – 27 April 2024) was a British writer of Historical mystery, historical crime novels, best known for his Shardlake series, Matthew Shardlake series. He also wrote the spy novel ''Winter in Madrid'' and ...
, British crime writer (''
Shardlake series
The ''Shardlake series'' is a series of historical mystery novels by C. J. Sansom, set in 16th century Tudor period, Tudor England. The series features barrister Matthew Shardlake, who, while navigating the religious reforms of Henry VIII of Engl ...
''), 71
*
April 27
Events Pre-1600
* 247 – Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome with a celebration of the '' ludi saeculares''.
* 395 – Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes ...
–
Joko Pinurbo, Indonesian poet, 61
*
April 28
Events Pre-1600
* 224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V, effectively ending the Parthian Empire.
* 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victor ...
–
Sir Vincent O'Sullivan, New Zealand writer,
Poet Laureate (2013–2015), 86
*
April 30
Events Pre-1600
* 311 – The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends.
* 1315 – Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged at the instigation of Charles, Count of Valois.
*1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus ...
–
Paul Auster
Paul Benjamin Auster (February 3, 1947 – April 30, 2024) was an American writer, novelist, memoirist, poet, and filmmaker. His notable works include '' The New York Trilogy'' (1987), '' Moon Palace'' (1989), '' The Music of Chance'' (1990), ' ...
, American crime writer (''
The New York Trilogy
''The New York Trilogy'' is a series of novels by American writer Paul Auster. Originally published sequentially as ''City of Glass'' (1985), ''Ghosts'' (1986) and ''The Locked Room'' (1986), it has since been collected into a single volume. Th ...
''), 77
*
May 4
Events Pre-1600
* 1256 – The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull ''Licet ecclesiae catholicae''.
* 1415 – Religious reformer John Wycliffe is condemned a ...
–
Jūrō Kara
was a Japanese avant-garde playwright, theatre director, author, actor, and songwriter. He was at the forefront of the ''Angura'' ("underground") theatre movement in Japan.
Career
Graduating from Meiji University, Kara formed his own theatre t ...
, Japanese playwright, 84
*
May 13
Events Pre-1600
* 1344 – A Latin Christian fleet defeats a Turkish fleet in the battle of Pallene during the Smyrniote crusades.
*1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, v ...
–
Alice Munro
Alice Ann Munro ( ; ; 10 July 1931 – 13 May 2024) was a Canadian short story writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Her work tends to move forward and backward in time, with integrated short story cycles.
Munro's ...
, Canadian writer, 92
*
July 1
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor.
* 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and ...
–
Ismail Kadare
Ismail Kadare (; 28 January 1936 – 1 July 2024) was an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. He was a leading international literary figure and intellectual, focusing on poetry until the publication of his first novel ...
, Albanian writer, 88
*
July 28
Events Pre-1600
*1364 – Troops of the Republic of Pisa and the Republic of Florence clash in the Battle of Cascina.
*1540 – Henry VIII of England marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard.
*1571 – La Laguna encomienda, known t ...
–
Edna O'Brien
Josephine Edna O'Brien (15 December 1930 – 27 July 2024) was an Irish novelist, memoirist, playwright, poet and short-story writer.
O'Brien's works often revolve around the inner feelings of women and their problems relating to men and soc ...
, Irish writer, 93
*
September 15
Events Pre-1600
* 994 – Major Fatimid victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of the Orontes.
* 1440 – Gilles de Rais, one of the earliest known serial killers, is taken into custody upon an accusation brought against hi ...
–
Elias Khoury, Lebanese writer, 76
*
November 24
Events Pre-1600
* 380 – Theodosius I makes his '' adventus'', or formal entry, into Constantinople.
* 1190 – Conrad of Montferrat becomes King of Jerusalem upon his marriage to Isabella I of Jerusalem.
* 1221 – Genghis Khan ...
–
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford (10 May 1933 – 24 November 2024) was a British Americans, British-American best-selling novelist. Her debut novel, ''A Woman of Substance (novel), A Woman of Substance'', was published in 1979 and sold over 30 mi ...
, British-American novelist, 91
*
December 4
Events Pre-1600
* 771 – Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne as sole king of the Frankish Kingdom.
* 963 – The lay papal protonotary is elected pope and takes the name Leo VIII, being consecrated ...
–
Chiung Yao
Chen Che (; 20April 19384December 2024), better known by her pen name Chiung Yao (), was a Taiwanese writer and film producer. The name ''Chiung Yao'' is a phrase taken from the ''Classic of Poetry'', where it means "splendid pure jade". Born ...
, Taiwanese novelist, 86
*
December 5
Events Pre-1600
*63 BC – Cicero gives the fourth and final of the Catiline Orations.
* 633 – Fourth Council of Toledo opens, presided over by Isidore of Seville.
*1033 – The 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake, Jordan Rift Val ...
–
Jacques Roubaud, French poet, writer, and mathematician, 92
*
December 17
Events Pre-1600
* 497 BC – The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome.
* 546 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoths under king Totila plunder the city, by bribing the Eastern Roman garrison.
* 920 – Romanos I ...
–
Michel del Castillo, French writer, 91
Mort de Michel del Castillo à 91 ans, écrire sur un champ de ruines
la-croix.com, 17 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024 (in French).
Awards
Notable new movies and TV series based on books
Below are some of the most prominent film and television productions that premiered / were broadcast during 2024:
See also
References
{{Year in literature article categories
2024-related lists