This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1984.

Events

* April 4 – The narrative of

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

's dystopian novel '' Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

) begins and causes widespread discussion. G. K. Chesterton's '' The Napoleon of Notting Hill'' ( 1904) is also set in this year; and Haruki Murakami's '' 1Q84'' (いちきゅうはちよん, ''Ichi-Kyū-Hachi-Yon'',

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

–2010) is set in a parallel version of it. * June 16 –

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; ) is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Jun ...

is founded in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, by two former street performers, Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix. *July –

Tom Wolfe Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...

's novel '' The Bonfire of the Vanities'' begins serialization in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

''. * December 19 – Ted Hughes' appointment as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom is announced in succession to Sir John Betjeman, Philip Larkin having turned down the post. *''unknown dates'' ** Prvoslav Vujčić's second poetry collection, ''Kastriranje vetra'' (Castration of the Wind), written during a week's imprisonment in

Tuzla Tuzla (, , ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inha ...

for criticising the state, is banned in

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

. **'' Of Mice and Men'', the 1937 novel by John Steinbeck, is removed from

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

public schools, when the School Board Chair promises to oust all "ostensibly filthy" books from public school curricula and libraries. ** Redu in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

becomes a book town. **Saqi Books, an independent U.K. publisher, is founded by Mai Ghoussoub.

New books

Fiction

* Warren Adler – '' Random Hearts'' *

Kingsley Amis Sir Kingsley William Amis (16 April 1922 – 22 October 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, short stories, radio and television scripts, and works of social crit ...

– '' Stanley and the Women'' * Martin Amis – ''

Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are: m ...

'' * V. C. Andrews – '' Seeds of Yesterday'' *

Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist and former politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Louth (Lincolnshire) from 1969 to 1974, but did not seek re-election after a fina ...

– '' First Among Equals'' * Richard Bachman (Stephen King) – '' Thinner'' * Beryl Bainbridge – ''Watson's Apology'' * J. G. Ballard – '' Empire of the Sun'' * Iain Banks – '' The Wasp Factory'' * René Barjavel – '' L'Enchanteur'' * Julian Barnes – '' Flaubert's Parrot'' *J. J. Benítez – '' Caballo de Troya'' * Thomas Bernhard – '' Woodcutters (Holzfällen)'' * J. Bernlef – ''Hersenschimmen'' (Out of Mind) * Michael Bishop **'' One Winter in Eden'' **'' Who Made Stevie Crye?'' *

Simon Brett Simon Anthony Lee Brett Order of the British Empire, OBE Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL (born 28 October 1945 in Worcester Park, Surrey, England) is a British author of detective fiction, a playwright, and a producer-writer for ...

– '' A Shock to the System'' * David Brin – '' The Practice Effect'' * Anita Brookner – '' Hotel du Lac'' * Anthony Burgess – '' Enderby's Dark Lady, or No End to Enderby'' *

Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science, military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of ...

– '' The Hunt for Red October'' * Maryse Condé – ''Segou: les murailles de terre'' * Bernard & Judy Cornwell (as Susannah Kells) – ''Fallen Angels'' * Michel Déon – '' Je vous écris d'Italie'' * Joan Didion – ''

Democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

'' * Marguerite Duras – '' L'Amant'' * Louise Erdrich – '' Love Medicine'' * Howard Fast – ''The Outsider'' * Leon Forrest – ''Two Wings to Veil My Face'' * Frederick Forsyth – '' The Fourth Protocol'' * John Gardner – '' Role of Honour'' * William Gibson – '' Neuromancer'' * William Golding – " The Paper Men" * Alasdair Gray – '' 1982, Janine'' * Kent Haruf – '' The Tie That Binds'' *

Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science-fiction author, best known for his 1965 novel Dune (novel), ''Dune'' and its five sequels. He also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, ...

– '' Heretics of Dune'' * David Hughes – '' The Pork Butcher'' * John Jakes – ''Love and War'' *

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

, Peter Straub – '' The Talisman'' * Russell Kirk – '' Watchers at the Strait Gate'' * Jaan Kross – '' Professor Martens' Departure (Professor Martensi ärasõit)'' * Milan Kundera – '' The Unbearable Lightness of Being'' (first published in French as ''L'Insoutenable légèreté de l'être'') * Sue Limb – '' Up the Garden Path'' * Robert Ludlum – '' The Aquitaine Progression'' *

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American writer, journalist and filmmaker. In a career spanning more than six decades, Mailer had 11 best-selling books, at least ...

– '' Tough Guys Don't Dance'' * Ruth Manning-Sanders – '' A Book of Magic Horses'' * Gladys Mitchell – '' The Crozier Pharaohs'' * M. T. Vasudevan Nair – '' Randamoozham'' (രണ്ടാമൂഴം, ''Second Turn'') * Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk – '' Sanaaq'' * Kem Nunn - '' Tapping the Source'' * Robert B. Parker – '' Valediction'' * Milorad Pavić – '' Dictionary of the Khazars'' * Ellis Peters **'' Dead Man's Ransom'' **'' The Pilgrim of Hate'' * Mario Puzo – '' The Sicilian'' * Thomas Pynchon – '' Slow Learner: Early Stories'' * Christoph Ransmayr – '' The Terrors of Ice and Darkness'' *

Pratibha Ray Pratibha Ray (born 21 January 1944) is an Indian academic and writer of Odia language, Odia-language novels and stories. For her contribution to the Indian literature, Ray received the Jnanpith Award in 2011. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan ...

– '' Yajnaseni'' * Bob Shea and Robert Anton Wilson – '' The Illuminatus! Trilogy'' (collected edition) *Michael Slade – '' Headhunter'' * Muriel Spark – '' The Only Problem'' * Danielle Steel – '' Full Circle'' *

Neal Stephenson Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work explores mathemati ...

– '' The Big U'' (debut novel) *

Botho Strauß Botho Strauss (; written as Botho Strauß) (born 2 December 1944) is a German playwright, novelist, and essayist. Early life His father was a chemist. After finishing his secondary education, Strauss studied German, History of the Theatre a ...

– '' The Young Man'' * Robert Swindells – '' Brother in the Land'' * Antonio Tabucchi – '' Indian Nocturne'' (''Notturno indiano'', novella) *

John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth Tar ...

– '' The Witches of Eastwick'' *

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( ; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...

– '' Lincoln'' *

Tim Winton Timothy John Winton (born 4 August 1960) is an Australian writer. He has written novels, children's books, non-fiction books, and short stories. In 1997, he was named a Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia, and has won the ...

– '' Shallows'' * Janusz Zajdel – '' Paradyzja''

Children and young people

* Chris Van Allsburg – '' The Mysteries of Harris Burdick'' * Sandra Cisneros - '' The House on Mango Street'' * Helen Cresswell – ''The Secret World of Polly Flint'' *

Kevin Eastman Kevin Brooks Eastman (born May 30, 1962) is an American comic book writer and artist best known for co-creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Peter Laird. Eastman was also formerly the editor and publisher of the magazine ''Heavy Metal ...

and Peter Laird – ''

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (''TMNT'') is an American media franchise created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), D ...

'' (

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

) * Mem Fox – '' Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge'' * Patricia Reilly Giff – ''The Beast in Ms. Rooney's Room'' (first in '' Polk Street School'' series) *

Michelle Magorian Michelle Magorian (born 6 November 1947) is an English people, English author of children's books. She is best known for her second novel, ''Goodnight Mister Tom'', which won the 1982 Guardian Prize for British children's books. The novel has ...

– '' Back Home'' * Bill Peet – ''Pamela Camel'' * Dr. Seuss – '' The Butter Battle Book'' *

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

(with Michael Hague) – '' The Hobbit''

Drama

* Howard Barker – '' Scenes from an Execution'' * Howard Brenton – '' Bloody Poetry'' * Dario Fo – '' Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman (Quasi per caso una donna: Elisabetta)'' * Michael Frayn – '' Benefactors'' * Beth Henley – ''The Miss Firecracker Contest'' * Elfriede Jelinek – '' Illness or Modern Women'' (''Krankheit oder Moderne Frauen'', published) * Joshua Sobol – '' Ghetto'' * Tom Stoppard – '' Rough Crossing''

Poetry

* John Ashbery – ''A Wave'' * Louise Erdrich – '' Jacklight'' * Christopher Gilbert – ''Across the Mutual Landscape'' * Paulette Jiles – ''Celestial Navigation'' * Sharon Olds – ''The Dead and the Living''

Non-fiction

* Charles Berlitz – ''Atlantis: The Eighth Continent'' * Church in Wales – ''Book of Common Prayer for use in the Church in Wales'' * Morrill Cody and Hugh Ford – ''The Women of Montparnasse, the Americans in Paris'' *

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

– '' Boy'' an autobiography * Louise Hay – '' You Can Heal Your Life'' * Lee Iacocca – '' Iacocca: An Autobiography'' * Pauline Kael – '' Taking It All In'' * Steven Levy – '' Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution'' * Audre Lorde – '' Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches'' * Robin Morgan (ed.) – '' Sisterhood Is Global'' *M. Alice Ottoboni – '' The Dose Makes the Poison: A Plain-Language Guide to Toxicology'' * Derek Parfit – '' Reasons and Persons'' * Joan Peters – '' From Time Immemorial: The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over Palestine'' * Dan Simonescu – ''Contribuții: literatura română medievală'' (Contributions: Medieval Romanian Literature) * Herbert Jay Stern – '' Judgment in Berlin'' * E. O. Wilson – ''Biophilia: The Human Bond with Other Species''

Births

February 19 Events Pre-1600 * 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats Roman usurper, usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies. * 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the w ...

- Marissa Meyer, American science-fiction author * April 16 – Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, American novelist * May 9 –

Ezra Klein Ezra Klein (born May 9, 1984) is an American American liberalism, liberal political commentator and journalist. He is currently a ''The New York Times, New York Times'' columnist and the host of ''The Ezra Klein Show'' podcast. He is a co-founde ...

, American journalist and columnist * May 21 – Jackson Pearce, American young-adult novelist * June 5 – Simon Rich, American humorist, novelist and screenwriter * July 11 - Marie Lu, American young-adult novelist * July 12 –

Amanda Hocking Amanda Hocking (born July 12, 1984) is an American writer of paranormal romance young adult fiction. Early life Hocking was born and raised in Austin, Minnesota. After high school, she studied human services while working in a group home for pe ...

, American fantasy novelist * August 8 – Owen Jones, English columnist and author and commentator * October 13 - Lauren DeStefano, American young-adult author * November 20 – Halley Feiffer, American playwright and actress * December 10 – Helen Oyeyemi, English novelist and playwright

Deaths

February 12 Events Pre-1600 * 1096 – Pope Urban II confirms the foundation of the abbey of La Roë under Robert of Arbrissel as a community of canons regular. * 1404 – The Italian professor Galeazzo di Santa Sofia performed the first post- ...

– Julio Cortázar, Argentine novelist, short story writer and essayist (born 1914) *

February 21 Events Pre-1600 * 452 or 453 – Severianus, Bishop of Scythopolis, is martyred in Palestine. * 1245 – Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland, is granted resignation after confessing to torture and forgery. * 1440 – The ...

– Michail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov, Russian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1905) *

February 22 Events Pre-1600 * 1076 – Having received a letter during the Lenten synod of 14–20 February demanding that he abdicate, Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor. * 1316 – The Battle of Picotin, between Fer ...

** Uwe Johnson, German writer in England (born 1934) ** Jessamyn West, American novelist (born 1902) *

March 4 Events Pre-1600 * AD 51 – Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title '' princeps iuventutis'' (head of the youth). * 306 – Martyrdom of Saint Adrian of Nicomedia. * 581 – Yang Jian declares himself Emperor ...

– Odd Bang-Hansen, Norwegian novelist and children's writer (born 1908) *

March 8 Events Pre-1600 * 1010 – Ferdowsi completes his epic poem '' Shahnameh''. * 1126 – Following the death of his mother, queen Urraca of León, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of León. * 1262 – Battle of Hausbergen between ...

– Eleanor Graham, English children's writer and editor (born 1896) *

March 12 Events Pre-1600 * 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius. * 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of th ...

– Arnold Ridley, English playwright and actor (born 1896) * March 26 – Branko Ćopić, Bosnian Serb writer (suicide, born 1915) * April 1 – Elizabeth Goudge, English writer (born 1900) * April 15 ** William Empson, English literary critic and poet (born 1906) ** Alexander Trocchi, Scottish writer (born 1925) *

April 21 Events Pre-1600 * 753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date). * 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is mur ...

** Marcel Janco, Romanian–Israeli artist, art theorist, essayist and poet (born 1895) ** Manuel Mujica Láinez, Argentine novelist (born 1910) *

April 24 Events Pre-1600 * 1479 BC – Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th dynasty). * 1183 BC – Traditional reckoning of the Fall of Troy ...

– Rafael Pérez y Pérez, Spanish writer (born 1891) * May 16 – Irwin Shaw, American playwright, screenwriter and novelist (born 1913) * May 19 – John Betjeman, English poet laureate (born 1906) *

June 6 Events Pre-1600 * 913 – Constantine VII, the eight-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointe ...

** A. Bertram Chandler, English-Australian soldier and author (born

1912 This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15. In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...

) ** Hugh Sykes Davies, English poet and novelist (born 1909) * June 10 – Halide Nusret Zorlutuna, Turkish poet and novelist (born 1901) * June 30 –

Lillian Hellman Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, Prose, prose writer, Memoir, memoirist, and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway as well as her communist views and political activism. She was black ...

, American playwright (born 1905) * July 6 – Denys Val Baker, Welsh novelist and short story writer (born 1917) * July 9 – Margaret Wetherby Williams (Margaret Erskine), English crime novelist (born 1901]) * August 14 – J. B. Priestley, English novelist and playwright (born 1894) * August 25 –

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 ...

(Truman Streckfus Persons), American fiction writer (born 1924) * September 7 – Liam O'Flaherty, Irish novelist and short story writer (born 1896) * October 31 – Eduardo De Filippo, Italian playwright (born 1900) * November 6 – Gastón Suárez, Bolivian novelist and dramatist (born 1929) * November 10 – Xavier Herbert, Australian novelist (born 1901) * November 12 – Chester Himes, American writer (born 1909) * December 4 – Ștefan Voitec, Romanian politician and journalist (born 1900) * December 6 – Gray Barker, American writer on paranormal (born 1925) * December 14 – Vicente Aleixandre, Spanish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1898)

Awards

* Nobel Prize in Literature:

Jaroslav Seifert Jaroslav Seifert (; 23 September 1901 – 10 January 1986) was a Czech writer, poet and journalist. Seifert was awarded the 1984 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his poetry which endowed with freshness, sensuality and rich inventiveness provides ...

Australia

* The Australian/Vogel Literary Award:

Kate Grenville Catherine Elizabeth Grenville (born 1950) is an Australian author. She has published fifteen books, including fiction, non-fiction, biography, and books about the writing process. In 2001, she won the Orange Prize for Fiction, Orange Prize for ...

, ''Lilian's Story'' * Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: Les Murray, ''The People's Other World'' * Miles Franklin Award:

, '' Shallows''

Canada

*See 1984 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.

France

* Prix Goncourt: Marguerite Duras, '' L'Amant'' *

Prix Médicis The Prix Médicis () is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by and .

French: Bernard-Henri Lévy, ''Le Diable en tête'' *

Prix Médicis The Prix Médicis () is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by and .

International: Elsa Morante, ''Aracoeli''

Spain

* Miguel de Cervantes Prize: Ernesto Sabato

United Kingdom

* Betty Trask Award, established by Society of Authors, Prize: Ronald Frame, ''Winter Journey'', Clare Nonhebel, ''Cold Showers'' * Booker Prize: Anita Brookner, '' Hotel du Lac'' * Carnegie Medal for

children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

: Margaret Mahy, '' The Changeover'' * Cholmondeley Award: Michael Baldwin, Michael Hofmann, Carol Rumens * Eric Gregory Award: Martyn Crucefix, Mick Imlah, Jamie McKendrick, Bill Smith, Carol Ann Duffy, Christopher Meredith, Peter Armstrong, Iain Bamforth * James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction: J. G. Ballard, '' Empire of the Sun'', and Angela Carter, '' Nights at the Circus'' * James Tait Black Memorial Prize for biography: Lyndall Gordon, '' Virginia Woolf: A Writer's Life'' * Whitbread Best Book Award: James Buchan, ''A Parish of Rich Women''

United States

* Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize: Arthur Smith, ''Elegy on Independence Day'' * Frost Medal: Jack Stadler * Nebula Award: William Gibson, '' Neuromancer'' * Newbery Medal for

: Beverly Cleary, '' Dear Mr. Henshaw'' * Pulitzer Prize for Drama: David Mamet, '' Glengarry Glen Ross'' * Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: William J. Kennedy – '' Ironweed'' * Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Mary Oliver: ''American Primitive''

Elsewhere

* Premio Nadal: José de Tomás García – ''La otra orilla de la droga''

References

{{Year in literature article categories