This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2012.

Events

January 1 January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in the Gregorian Calendar; 364 days remain until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the year. __TOC__ Events ...

– Copyright restrictions on

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...

's major works are lifted on the first day of the year, 70 years having passed last year since his death. *

January 20 Events Pre-1600 * 250 – Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution. *1156 – Finnish peasant Lalli kills English clergyman Henry (bishop of Finland), Henry, the Bishop of Turku, on the ice of Köyliönjärvi, Lake Köyli� ...

– British novelist

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie ( ; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British and American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern wor ...

cancels an appearance at the

Jaipur Literature Festival The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), often hailed as the "''greatest literary show on Earth''," is a renowned annual cultural and literary festival held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Established in 2006 by writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalry ...

in India, and four other writers leave the city after reading excerpts from ''

The Satanic Verses ''The Satanic Verses'' is the fourth novel from the Indian-British writer Salman Rushdie. First published in September 1988, the book was inspired by the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. As with his previous books, Rushdie used magical re ...

'', which is banned in the country. *February –

's children's story ''

The Cats of Copenhagen ''The Cats of Copenhagen'' is a posthumously published short story written by Irish author James Joyce and illustrated by American artist Casey Sorrow. Written on 5 September 1936 in the titular city in a postcard to his grandson Stephen James ...

'' is published for the first time by Ithys Press in Dublin. *March – The discovery is announced of a collection of

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...

s gathered by the historian Franz Xaver von Schönwerth and locked in a

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

archive for more than 150 years. *April – While attending the

London Book Fair The London Book Fair (LBF) is a large book-publishing trade fair held annually, usually in April, in London, England. LBF is a global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and d ...

, the exiled Chinese writer Ma Jian uses red paint to smear a cross over his face and a copy of his banned book '' Beijing Coma'' and calls Chinese publishers a "mouthpiece of the Chinese communist party", after being "manhandled" while attempting to present the book to

Liu Binjie Liu Binjie (; born September 1948) is a Chinese politician. He currently serves as the Chair of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the National People's Congress. He was most well-known for serving as the director of t ...

at the fair. *July – Jaime García Márquez tells his students that his brother

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...

, the Colombian writer and recipient of the 1982

Nobel Prize for Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in t ...

, suffers from

dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

, which has ended his writing career. *

September 27 Events Pre-1600 * 1066 – William the Conqueror and his army set sail from the mouth of the Somme river, beginning the Norman conquest of England. * 1331 – The Battle of Płowce is fought, between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teut ...

– The 50th anniversary of the publication of ecological text ''

Silent Spring ''Silent Spring'' is an environmental science book by Rachel Carson. Published on September 27, 1962, the book documented the environmental harm caused by the indiscriminate use of DDT, a pesticide used by soldiers during World War II. Carson acc ...

'' by

Rachel Carson Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservation movement, conservationist whose sea trilogy (1941–1955) and book ''Silent Spring'' (1962) are credited with advancing mari ...

is noted. *

September 28 Events Pre-1600 *48 BC – Pompey disembarks at Pelusium upon arriving in Egypt, whereupon he is assassinated by order of King Ptolemy XIII. * 235 – Pope Pontian resigns. He is exiled to the mines of Sardinia, along with Hippolytus ...

–

Sue Limb Margaret Susan Limb (born 1946) is a British writer and broadcaster. Biography Limb was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Her family moved to Cheltenham where her father worked at GCHQ. Educated at Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham, she studied ...

's parody of the

Bloomsbury Group The Bloomsbury Group was a group of associated British writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists in the early 20th century. Among the people involved in the group were Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E. M. Forster, Vanessa Bell, a ...

, ''

Gloomsbury ''Gloomsbury'' was a BBC Radio 4 comedy sitcom which gently parodied the lives, loves and works of the Bloomsbury Group. It was written by Sue Limb and five series were produced, in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Cast The character names were p ...

'', begins to be broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

in the U.K. *

October 24 Events Pre-1600 *AD 69 – In the Second Battle of Bedriacum, troops loyal to Vespasian defeat those of Emperor Vitellius. * 1260 – Chartres Cathedral is dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France. * 1260 – Afte ...

– Boekenberg ("Book mountain"), a public library in

Spijkenisse Spijkenisse () is a large town in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. Following an administrative reform in 2015, it is part of the List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of Nissewaard, and ha ...

, Netherlands, designed by

MVRDV MVRDV is a Rotterdam, Netherlands-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 1993, with additional offices in Berlin, New York, Paris, and Shanghai. It is currently regarded as one of the world's finest architecture firms. MVRDV is ...

, is opened. *December – The discovery is announced of "

The Tallow Candle "The Tallow Candle" () is a 700-word literary fairytale by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). It was written in the 1820s, making it one of his earliest works and his first known work in the fairytale genre, but its existen ...

", a previously unknown story by

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogue (literature), travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fai ...

found at the bottom of a box in Denmark in October. *''unknown date'' **Precious

Timbuktu Manuscripts Timbuktu Manuscripts, or Tombouctou Manuscripts, is a blanket term for the large number of historically significant manuscripts that have been preserved for centuries in private households in Timbuktu, a city in northern Mali. The collections i ...

are evacuated under threat from Islamist rebels by Dr. Abdel Kader Haidara and Stephanie Diakité. **An underground library in Darayya is formed in the besieged Syrian city by students.

New books

Fiction (literary)

Saud Alsanousi Saud Alsanousi (Arabic: سعود السنعوسي, born 1981) is an acclaimed Kuwaiti novelist and journalist who has firmly established himself as a prominent literary voice in the Arab world despite his relatively young age. His works offer prof ...

– ''The Bamboo Stalk'' *

Jacob M. Appel Jacob M. Appel (born February 21, 1973) is an American polymath, author, bioethicist, physician, lawyer, and social critic.Nagamatsu, Sequoia "A Few Words with the Ubiquitous Jacob M. Appel" ''Prince Mincer'' Journal http://primemincer.com/ con ...

– '' The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up'' (October 27) * Filippo Bologna – ''I pappagalli'' (The Parrots, satire, March) * Peter Carey – ''

The Chemistry of Tears ''The Chemistry of Tears'' is a 2012 novel by Australian literature, Australian author Peter Carey (novelist), Peter Carey. Plot summary Catherine Gehrig is a middle-aged horologist working in "the Georgian halls" of the Swinburne Museum, Lond ...

'' (May 15) *

Dan Chaon Dan Chaon (born June 11, 1964) is an American writer. Formerly a creative writing professor, he is the author of three short story collections and four novels. Early life and education Chaon was born June 11, 1964, in either Sidney, Nebraska or ...

– '' Stay Awake'' (short stories, February 7) * Emily Danforth – ''

The Miseducation of Cameron Post ''The Miseducation of Cameron Post'' is a coming-of-age teen novel by Emily M. Danforth published in 2012. The novel's protagonist is Cameron Post, a 12-year-old Montana girl who is discovering her own homosexuality. After her parents die in a ...

'' (Bildungsroman, February 2) * Stephen Dau – '' The Book of Jonas'' (March 15) *

Debra Dean Debra Lynn Dean (born 1957) is an American writer, best known for her 2006 novel, '' The Madonnas of Leningrad''. Life Dean was born and brought up in Seattle and studied English and Drama at Whitman College, graduating in 1980. She then traine ...

– '' The Mirrored World'' *

Elena Ferrante Elena Ferrante () is a pseudonymous Italian novelist. Ferrante's books, originally published in Italian, have been translated into many languages. Her four-book series of '' Neapolitan Novels'' are her most widely known works. ''Time'' magazine ...

– ''L'amica geniale'' ( My Brilliant Friend, first of the

Neapolitan Novels The Neapolitan Novels, also known as the Neapolitan Quartet, are a four-part series of fiction by the pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante, published originally by Edizioni e/o, translated into English by Ann Goldstein and published by ...

) *

Richard Ford Richard Ford (born February 16, 1944) is an American novelist and short story author, and writer of a series of novels featuring the character Frank Bascombe. Ford's first collection of short stories, ''Rock Springs (short stories), Rock Springs ...

– ''

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

'' (May 22) * Ben Fountain – ''

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk ''Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'' is a satirical war novel written by Ben Fountain, which was published in early May 2012 by Ecco Press, a publishing imprint of HarperCollins. The novel chronicles the experience of a group of Iraq War vetera ...

'' (May 1) * Emily Giffin – '' Where We Belong'' (July 24) *

Mark Haddon Mark Haddon (born 26 September 1962) is an English novelist, best known for ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' (2003). He won the Whitbread Award, the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award, the Guardian Prize, and a Commonweal ...

– ''The Red House'' (June 12) *

John Irving John Winslow Irving (born John Wallace Blunt Jr.; March 2, 1942) is an American and Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of his fourth novel '' Th ...

– ''

In One Person ''In One Person'' is a 2012 novel by American author John Irving, his 13th since 1968. The book was published on May 8, 2012, by Simon & Schuster, and deals with the coming of age of a bisexual man and his coming to grips with his sexual identit ...

'' (May 8) * Howard Jacobson – ''Zoo Time'' * Adam Johnson – ''

The Orphan Master's Son ''The Orphan Master's Son'' is a 2012 novel by the American author Adam Johnson. It deals with intertwined propaganda, identity, and state power themes in North Korea. The novel was awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Characters *Pak ...

'' (January 10) *

Christian Kracht Christian Kracht (; born 29 December 1966) is a Swiss author. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages. Early life and education Kracht was born in Saanen in the Canton of Bern. Kracht's father, Christian Kracht Sr., was chie ...

– ''

Imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...

'' (February 16) *

Torsten Krol Torsten Krol is an Australian writer resident in Queensland. He is the author of the ''FOREVERMAN'' series of novels (2018–2023). He is best known for his novels ''The Dolphin People'' (2006), a postmodern "parable" of a World War II-era German ...

– '' The Secret Book of Sacred Things'' *

Mario Vargas Llosa Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquess of Vargas Llosa (28 March 1936 – 13 April 2025) was a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist and politician. Vargas Llosa was one of the most significant Latin American novelists and essayists a ...

– ''

The Dream of the Celt ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (English translation by

Edith Grossman Edith Marion Grossman (née Dorph; March 22, 1936 – September 4, 2023) was an American literary translator. Known for her work translating Latin American literature, Latin American and Spanish literature to English, she translated the works o ...

, June 5) *

Attica Locke Attica Locke (born 1974 in Houston, Texas) is an American fiction author and writer/producer for television and film. Career Locke graduated from Northwestern University School of Communication in 1995, and was a fellow at the Sundance Institute ...

– ''The Cutting Season'' *

Ben Marcus Ben Marcus (born October 11, 1967) is an American author and professor at Columbia University. He has written four books of fiction. His stories, essays, and reviews have appeared in publications including ''Harper's'', ''The New Yorker'', ''The ...

– '' The Flame Alphabet'' (January 17) *

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist and editor. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically accl ...

– ''

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

''(May 8) *

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 ...

– '' Dear Life'' (short story collection) *

Chibundu Onuzo Imachibundu Oluwadara Onuzo (born 1991) is a Nigerian novelist. Her first novel, ''The Spider King's Daughter'', won a Betty Trask Award, was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Commonwealth Book Prize, and was longlisted for the Des ...

– '' The Spider King's Daughter'' *

Ron Rash Ron Rash (born September 25, 1953) is an American poet, short story writer and novelist and the Parris Distinguished Professor in Appalachian Cultural Studies at Western Carolina University. Early life Rash was born on September 25, 1953, in Ch ...

– '' The Cove'' (April 10) *

J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( ; born 31 July 1965), known by her pen name , is a British author and philanthropist. She is the author of ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume fantasy novel series published from 1997 to 2007. The series has List of best-sell ...

– ''

The Casual Vacancy ''The Casual Vacancy'' is a novel written by British author J. K. Rowling, published worldwide by the Little, Brown Book Group on 27 September 2012. It was Rowling's first publication since the ''Harry Potter'' series, her first novel apart f ...

'' (September 27) *Bill Peters – '' Maverick Jetpants in the City of Quality'' (October 9) *

Benjamin Alire Sáenz Benjamin Alire Sáenz (born August 16, 1954) is an American poet, novelist, and writer of children's books. Early life and education Sáenz was raised near Las Cruces, New Mexico. He earned a BA in Humanities and Philosophy from St. Thomas Semin ...

– ''

Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club ''Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club'' is a collection of short stories by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, published in 2012 by Cinco Puntos Press. The book compiles seven short stories, all set in the Hispanic/Latino community in El Paso, ...

'' (October 30) * Neeta Shah – '' Bollywood Striptease'' (March 27) * David Vann – ''Dirt'' (April 24) *

Richard Wagamese Richard Wagamese (October 14, 1955 – March 10, 2017) was an Ojibwe Canadian author and journalist from the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations in Northwestern Ontario. He was best known for his novel '' Indian Horse'' (2012), which won the Burt Aw ...

– '' Indian Horse''

Children and young people

*Claire Alexander – '' Back to Front and Upside Down!'' *

David Almond David Almond (born 15 May 1951) is a British author who has written many novels for children's literature, children and young adult fiction, young adults from 1998, each one receiving critical acclaim. He is one of thirty children's writers, and ...

– '' The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas'' * Hannah Barnaby – ''

Wonder Show ''Wonder Show'' is the 2012 young adult debut novel of American writer Hannah Barnaby. The book was first published on 20 March 2012 in hardback and e-book formats, and was subsequently released in paperback on 8 October 2013. The work was a final ...

'' (March 20) *

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and

Carole Barrowman Carole Emily Barrowman (born 20 April 1959) is a Scottish-American writer and academic. Biography She is Professor of English and Director of Creative Studies in Writing at Alverno College, Milwaukee, and a reviewer and crime fiction columnis ...

- ''

Hollow Earth (novel) ''Hollow Earth'' is the debut novel from sibling writing pair John Barrowman and Carole Barrowman which was published in the United Kingdom on 2 February 2012 by Buster Books. Plot The novel is about twins Matt and Emily ("Em") Calder who share ...

'' (February 2)) *

Emily Gravett Emily Gravett (born 1972) is an English author and illustrator of children's literature, children's picture books. For her debut book ''Wolves (book), Wolves'' published in 2005 and ''Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears'' published three years late ...

– '' Matilda's Cat'' *

John Green John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author and YouTuber. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including ''The Fault in Our Stars'' (2012), which is one of the List of best-selling books#Bet ...

– ''

The Fault in Our Stars ''The Fault in Our Stars'' is a novel by John Green. It is his fourth solo novel, and sixth novel overall. It was published on January 10, 2012. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play ''Julius Caesar (play), Julius Caesar ...

'' *

Jon Klassen Jon Klassen (born November 29, 1981) is a Canadian writer and illustrator of children's books and an animator. He won both the American Caldecott Medal and the British Kate Greenaway Medal for children's book illustration, recognizing the 2012 ...

– ''

This is Not My Hat ''This Is Not My Hat'' is a 2012 children's picture book by the author and illustrator Jon Klassen. The story is told through the unreliable narration of a little fish, who has stolen a hat from a big fish and how the big fish reacts to the the ...

'' *

Josh Lacey Josh Lacey (born 1968 in London), who sometimes uses the pseudonym Joshua Doder, is a British writer. He has written several children’s books and one book for adults, ''God is Brazilian'', a biography of Charles Miller, the man who introduced ...

– '' The Dragonsitter'' * Inga Moore – '' Captain Cat'' *

Rick Riordan Richard Russell Riordan Jr. ( ; born June 5, 1964) is an American author, best known for writing the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million cop ...

– ''

The Mark of Athena ''The Mark of Athena'' is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 2, 2012, and is the third book in ''The Heroes of Olympus'' series, a sequel to the ''Percy J ...

'' *

Maggie Stiefvater Margaret Stiefvater ( ; née Hummel; born November 18, 1981) is an American writer of young adult fiction who is best known for her Fantasy literature, fantasy series ''The Wolves of Mercy Falls'' and ''The Raven Cycle''. Life and career Early ...

– ''

The Raven Boys ''The Raven Cycle'' is a series of four contemporary fantasy novels written by American author Maggie Stiefvater. The first novel, ''The Raven Boys'', was published by Scholastic in 2012, and the final book, ''The Raven King'', was published o ...

'' (first book in

The Raven Cycle ''The Raven Cycle'' is a series of four contemporary fantasy novels written by American author Maggie Stiefvater. The first novel, ''The Raven Boys'', was published by Scholastic in 2012, and the final book, ''The Raven King'', was published o ...

) *Mary Sullivan – '' Dear Blue Sky'' *

Jacqueline Wilson Dame Jacqueline Wilson (' Aitken; born 17 December 1945) is an English novelist known for her popular children's literature. Her novels have been notable for tackling realistic topics such as adoption and divorce. Since her debut novel in 1969, ...

– '' The Worst Thing About My Sister''

Drama

Ayad Akhtar Ayad Akhtar (born October 28, 1970) is an American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. He has received numerous accolades including the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as nominations for two Tony Awards. Akhtar is known as a playwrig ...

– ''

Disgraced ''Disgraced'' (2012) is the first stage play by playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Ayad Akhtar. It premiered in Chicago and has had Off-Broadway and Off West End engagements. The play, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, opened on ...

'' *

Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. He has received numerous awards and honours including four BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2005 he received the Socie ...

**'' Cocktail Sticks'' **''Hymn'' **''

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

'' *

Howard Brenton Howard John Brenton FRSL (born 13 December 1942) is an English playwright and screenwriter, often ranked alongside contemporaries such as Edward Bond, Caryl Churchill, and David Hare. Early years Brenton was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, so ...

– ''

55 Days ''55 Days'' is an English history play by Howard Brenton, centred on the 1649 trial and execution of Charles I of England following the English Civil War. It premiered at the Hampstead Theatre from 18 October to 24 November 2012, in a production ...

'' * Monica Byrne – ''What Every Girl Should Know'' *

Lolita Chakrabarti Lolita Chakrabarti (born 1969) is a British actress and writer. Early life and education Lolita Chakrabarti was born in Kingston upon Hull, England, to Bengali Hindu parents from India in 1969. She grew up in Birmingham, where her father wo ...

– '' Red Velvet'' * James Graham – '' This House'' *

Miho Mosulishvili Mikheil "Miho" Mosulishvili (; ka, მიხეილ "მიხო" მოსულიშვილი; born December 10, 1962) is a Georgia (country), Georgian writer and playwright. Biography Mosulishvili graduated in 1986 from the Tbilisi ...

– '' My Redbreast'' *

Suman Mukhopadhyay Suman Mukhopadhyay (), or Suman Mukherjee (born 20 November 1966) is an Indian film director.His popular films are Herbert (film), Kangal Malsat, Shesher Kobita (2014). Career Suman Mukhopadhyay's recently completed feature film "Putulnacher ...

– '' Bisarjan'' *

Theresa Rebeck Theresa Rebeck (born February 19, 1958) is an American playwright, television writer, and novelist. Her work has appeared on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage, in film, and on television. Among her awards are the Mystery Writers of America's ...

– '' Dead Accounts'' *

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, ...

– ''Heartless'' *

Anne Washburn Anne Washburn is an American playwright. Life Washburn graduated from Reed College and from New York University, with an M.F.A. Her plays have been produced in New York City by Cherry Lane Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, The Civilians, Vineyard Theat ...

– '' Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play'' *

Florian Zeller Florian Zeller (; born 28 June 1979Extrait de naissance /1979LES GENS DU CINEMA ©/ref>) is a French novelist, playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, and film director. He has written over a dozen plays, that have been staged worldwide and h ...

– '' Le Père''

Poetry

''See 2012 in poetry'' *

Paige Ackerson-Kiely Paige Ackerson-Kiely was born in October 1975 in Biddeford, Maine. She is a modern poet and also works for the Poetry Journal ''Handsome''. She currently lives in Peekskill, New York. Education Paige Ackerson-Kiely received a BA in Asian Stud ...

– ''My Love Is a Dead Arctic Explorer'' *

Marilyn Buck Marilyn Jean Buck (December 13, 1947–August 3, 2010) was an American Marxist, feminist poet, and anti-war, anti-imperialist, and anti-racist activist, who was imprisoned for her participation in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur, the ...

– ''Inside/Out: Selected Poems'' *

Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi Mehr Lal Soni (9 February 1913 – 19 August 1986), better known as Zia Fatehabadi, was an Indian Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was a disciple (shaagird) of Syed Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui Seemab Akbarabadi (1882–1951), who was a disciple ...

– ''The Qat'aat o Rubaiyat of Zia Fatehabadi'' (quatrains, translation) *

Jack Gilbert Jack Gilbert (February 18, 1925 – November 13, 2012) was an American poet. Gilbert was acquainted with Jack Spicer and Allen Ginsberg, both prominent figureheads of the Beat Movement, but is not considered a Beat Poet; he described himself a ...

– ''Collected Poems'' * Paul Hoover – ''Desolation: Souvenir'' *

Liu Xiaobo Liu Xiaobo (; 28 December 1955 – 13 July 2017) was a Chinese literary criticism, literary critic, human rights activist, philosopher and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who called for political reforms and was involved in campaigns to end Ch ...

(刘晓波) – ''June Fourth Elegies'' (translation) *

Eileen Myles Eileen Myles (born December 9, 1949) is an American poet and writer who has produced more than twenty volumes of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, libretti, plays, and performance pieces over the last three decades. Novelist Dennis Cooper has des ...

– ''Snow-Flake'' *

Lucia Perillo Lucia Maria Perillo (September 30, 1958 – October 16, 2016) was an American poet. In 2000, Perillo was recognized with a "genius grant" as part of the MacArthur Fellows Program. Life and career Perillo was born in Manhattan on September 30, 19 ...

– ''On the Spectrum of Possible Deaths'' *

D. A. Powell Douglas A. Powell (born May 16, 1963) is an American poet. Life and career Powell lived in various places growing up, then graduated high school from Lindhurst High School in Olivehurst, California. He then worked in a number of jobs before even ...

– ''Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys'' *

W. G. Sebald Winfried Georg Sebald (18 May 1944 – 14 December 2001), known as W. G. Sebald or (as he preferred) Max Sebald, was a German writer and academic. At the time of his death at the age of 57, he was according to ''The New Yorker'' ”widely recog ...

– ''Across the Land and the Water: Selected Poems 1964–2001'' *

David Wagoner David Russell Wagoner (June 5, 1926 – December 18, 2021) was an American poet, novelist, and educator. Biography David Russell Wagoner was born on June 5, 1926, in Massillon, Ohio. Raised in Whiting, Indiana, from the age of seven, Wagoner at ...

– ''After the Point of No Return'' *

Lew Welch Lewis Barrett Welch Jr. (August 16, 1926 – May 23, 1971) was an American poet associated with the Beat generation literary movement. Welch published and performed widely during the 1960s. He taught a poetry workshop as part of the University o ...

– ''Ring of Bone: Collected Poems''

Science fiction and fantasy

Joe Abercrombie Joseph Edward Abercrombie (born December 31, 1974) is a British author of epic fantasy books and a film editor. He is the author of '' The First Law'' and '' The Age of Madness'' trilogies, as well as other fantasy books in the same setting, an ...

– ''Red Country'' (November 20) * Daniel Abraham ** ''The King's Blood'' (May 22) **(writing as James S. A. Corey) – ''

Caliban's War ''Caliban's War'' is a 2012 science fiction novel by James S. A. Corey (pen name of Daniel Abraham (author), Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). It is about a conflict in the Solar System that involves the polities Earth, Mars, the Asteroid Belt and ...

'' (June 26) *

Saladin Ahmed Saladin Ahmed (born October 4, 1975) is an American comic book writer and a science fiction/fantasy poetry and prose writer. His 2012 book '' Throne of the Crescent Moon'' was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel and won the Locus Award ...

– ''

Throne of the Crescent Moon ''Throne of the Crescent Moon'' is a fantasy novel written by American writer Saladin Ahmed. It is the first book in ''The Crescent Moon Kingdoms'' series. The book was published by DAW Books in February 2012. The book was nominated for the 201 ...

'' (February 7) *

Aaron Allston Aaron Dale Allston (December 8, 1960 – February 27, 2014) was an American game designer and author of many science fiction books, notably ''Star Wars'' novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for role-playing games, sev ...

– ''

Mercy Kill Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords select committee on medical ethics defines euthanasia as "a ...

'' *

Leigh Bardugo Leigh Bardugo (; born April 6, 1975) is an American fantasy author. She is best known for her young adult Grishaverse novels, which include the '' Shadow and Bone'' trilogy and the ''Six of Crows'' and '' King of Scars'' duologies. She also rec ...

– ''

Shadow and Bone ''Shadow and Bone'' is a young adult fantasy adventure and the debut novel written by the Israeli–American author Leigh Bardugo. It was published by Macmillan Publishers on June 5, 2012. The novel follows Alina Starkov, a teenage orphan who ...

'' *

John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman MBE (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his roles as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2010; 2020–2021) and its spin-off ''Torc ...

and

– ''

Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...

'' *

John Birmingham John Birmingham (born 7 August 1964) is a British-born Australian author, known for the 1994 memoir ''He Died with a Felafel in His Hand'', the ''Axis of Time'' trilogy, and the well-received space opera series, the ''Cruel Stars'' trilogy. ...

– ''Angels of Vengeance'' (April 10) * Alex Bledsoe – ''Wake of the Bloody Angel'' (July 3) *

David Brin Glen David Brin (born October 6, 1950) is an American science fiction author. He has won the Hugo Award, Hugo,

– ''Existence'' (June 19) *

Tobias Buckell Tobias S. Buckell (born 1979, Grenada West Indies) is a Caribbean science fiction writer. Born in the Caribbean, he grew up in Grenada and spent time in the British and US Virgin Islands before becoming a permanent resident of the United States ...

– ''Arctic Rising'' (February 28) *

Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. , he is the only person to have won a Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo Award and a Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula Award in List of joint ...

– ''

Shadows in Flight ''Shadows in Flight'' is a science fiction novella by American writer Orson Scott Card. When released in 2012, it became the twelfth book published in the ''Ender's Game'' series. The story follows on from where the original four "Shadow serie ...

'' (January 17) *

Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ; born April 1, 1942) is an American writer and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays on science fiction, literature, sexual orientation, sexuality, and ...

– '' Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders'' (April 17) *

Troy Denning Troy Denning is an American fantasy and science fiction author and game designer who has written more than two dozen novels. Background Denning grew up in the mountain town of Idaho Springs, Colorado. An avid reader of science fiction and fan ...

– '' Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse'' *

Steven Erikson Steve Rune Lundin (born October 7, 1959), known by his pseudonym Steven Erikson, is a Canadian author, novelist who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist. He is best known for his ten-volume spanning epic fantasy s ...

– '' Forge of Darkness'' (September 18) * Ian C. Esslemont – '' Orb Sceptre Throne'' (May 22) *

Brian Evenson Brian Evenson (born August 12, 1966) is an American academic and writer of both literary fiction and popular fiction, some of the latter being published under B. K. Evenson. His fiction is often described as literary minimalism, but also draws ins ...

– ''Immobility'' (April 10) * Michael F. Flynn – ''In the Lion's Mouth'' (January 17) *

Mira Grant Seanan McGuire (pronounced SHAWN-in; born January 5, 1978) is an American author and filker. McGuire is known for her urban fantasy novels. She uses the pseudonym Mira Grant to write science fiction/ horror and the pseudonym A. Deborah Baker to w ...

– ''Blackout'' (May 22) *

Jon Courtenay Grimwood Jon Courtenay Grimwood (born 1953 in Valletta, Malta) is a Maltese born British science fiction and fantasy author. He also writes literary fiction as Jonathan Grimwood, and crime fiction and thrillers as Jack Grimwood. Biography Grimwood was b ...

– ''The Outcast Blade'' (March 26) *

Robin Hobb Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (; born March 5, 1952), known by her pen names Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm, is an American writer of speculative fiction. As Hobb, she is best known for her fantasy novels set in the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', ...

– ''

City of Dragons ''City of Dragons'' is a 2011 fantasy novel by American writer Robin Hobb, the third book in ''The Rain Wild Chronicles''. It was released in September 2011 and is a direct continuation of the previous novel: Dragon Haven ''Dragon Haven'' ...

'' (February 7) *

Douglas Hulick Douglas Hulick is an American fantasy writer. Born in Fargo, North Dakota, he obtained a B.A. in history and English at the University of Illinois, and a master's degree in medieval history at New Mexico State University. He subsequently worked o ...

– ''Sworn in Steel'' (June 5) * N. K. Jemisin **''

The Killing Moon "The Killing Moon" is a song by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen. It was released on 20 January 1984 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, '' Ocean Rain'' (1984). It is one of the band's highest-charting hits, reaching nu ...

'' (May 1) **''The Shadowed Sun'' (June 12) *

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 ...

– ''

The Wind Through the Keyhole ''The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole'' is a 2012 fantasy novel by American writer Stephen King. As part of the ''Dark Tower'' series, it is the eighth novel, but it is set chronologically between volumes four and five. First mention ...

'' (April 24) *

Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal (; born February 8, 1969) is an American author, translator, art director, and puppeteer. She has worked on puppetry for shows including The Jim Henson Company, Jim Henson Productions and the children's show ''LazyTown''. As a ...

– ''Glamour in Glass'' (April 10) *

Jay Lake Joseph Edward "Jay" Lake, Jr. (June 6, 1964 – June 1, 2014) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. In 2003 he was a quarterly first-place winner in the Writers of the Future contest. In 2004 he won the John W. Campbell Award for B ...

– ''Calamity of So Long a Life'' * Sarah J. Maas – ''Throne of Glass'' *

Paul Melko Paul Melko (born May 22, 1968) is an American science fiction writer whose work has appeared in ''Realms of Fantasy'', ''Asimov's Science Fiction'', ''Strange Horizons'', and '' Live Without a Net''. His first professional story appeared in ''Rea ...

– ''Broken Universe'' (June 5) *

China Miéville China Tom Miéville ( , born 6 September 1972) is a British speculative fiction writer and Literary criticism, literary critic. He often describes his work as "weird fiction", and is allied to the loosely associated movement of writers called ...

– '' Railsea'' (May 15) *

Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has wo ...

– ''The Whispering Swarm'' *

Tim Powers Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy author. His first major novel was ''The Drawing of the Dark'' (1979), but the novel that earned him wide praise was ''The Anubis Gates'' ...

– ''Hide Me Among the Graves'' (March 13) *

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...

and Stephen Baxter – ''

The Long Earth ''The Long Earth'' is the first novel in a collaborative science fiction series by British authors Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Plot summary The "Long Earth" is a (possibly infinite) series of parallel worlds that are similar to Earth, ...

'' (June 19) *

Hannu Rajaniemi (born 9 March 1978) is a Finnish American author of science fiction and fantasy, who writes in both English and Finnish. He lives in Oakland, California, and was a founding director of a commercial research organisation ThinkTank Maths. Ear ...

– '' The Fractal Prince'' (September 4) *

Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. Early life Reynolds was born in Wales and spent his early years in Cornwall before moving back to Wales, ...

– '' Blue Remembered Earth'' (June 5) *

– ''

'' (October 2) *

Kim Stanley Robinson Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23, 1952) is an American science fiction writer best known for his ''Mars'' trilogy. Many of his novels and stories have ecological, cultural, and political themes and feature scientists as heroes. Robinson has ...

– ''2312'' (May 22) * Robert J. Sawyer – '' Triggers'' (April 3) *

John Scalzi John Michael Scalzi II (born May 10, 1969) is an American science fiction author and former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his ''Old Man's War'' series, three novels of which have been n ...

– '' Redshirts'' (June 5) *

Karl Schroeder Karl Schroeder () (born September 4, 1962) is a Canadian science fiction author and a professional futurist. His novels present far-future speculations on topics such as nanotechnology, terraforming, augmented reality, and interstellar travel, ...

– ''Ashes of Candesce'' (February 14) *

Brian Francis Slattery Brian Francis Slattery is an American writer and an editor at the '' New Haven Review''. He has published three novels, ''Spaceman Blues'' (Tor, 2007), '' Liberation'' (Tor, 2008), and '' Lost Everything'' (Tor, 2012). ''Spaceman Blues'' was nomin ...

– '' Lost Everything'' (April 10) *

Charles Stross Charles David George "Charlie" Stross (born 18 October 1964) is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy. Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. Between 1994 and 2004, he was also an active writer for the magazine ' ...

– '' The Apocalypse Codex'' (July 3) *

Brent Weeks Brent Weeks (born March 7, 1977) is an American fantasy writer. His debut novel, '' The Way of Shadows'', was a ''New York Times'' best seller in April 2009. Each of the five books in his ''Lightbringer'' series made the ''NYT'' list as well, st ...

– '' The Blinding Knife'' (September 11) *

Daniel H. Wilson Daniel H. Wilson (born March 6, 1978) is a Cherokee Nation, Cherokee citizen and the multiple New York Times bestselling author of techno-thrillers such as Robopocalypse, The Andromeda Evolution, and How to Survive a Robot Uprising, as well as ...

– ''

Amped Amped may refer to: *''Amped'' video games series: **'' Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding'' **''Amped 2'' **''Amped 3'' * ''Amped'' (116 Clique EP) * ''Amped'' (Seven Witches album), 2005 * ''Amped'' (Those Darn Accordions EP), 2002 * ''Amped'' (novel ...

'' (June 5) *

Ben H. Winters Benjamin Allen "Ben" H. Winters (born June 14, 1976) is an American author. He is best known for mystery/sci-fi novels such as ''The Last Policeman'' and ''Underground Airlines'', and for creating the CBS show ''Tracker (American TV series), Trac ...

– ''

The Last Policeman ''The Last Policeman'' is a 2012 American science fiction mystery novel by Ben H. Winters. It follows a police detective in New Hampshire as he investigates a suicide he believes was really a murder. His efforts are complicated by the social, p ...

'' (July 12) *

Gene Wolfe Gene Rodman Wolfe (May 7, 1931 – April 14, 2019) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and no ...

– ''

The Land Across ''The Land Across'' is a fantasy novel by Gene Wolfe published in 2013 by Tor Books. Synopsis Grafton is a travel writer who decides to write the first ever travel guide to "the land beyond the mountains", an otherwise-unnamed Eastern European na ...

Crime, horror etc.

Ace Atkins Ace Atkins (born June 28, 1970) is an American journalist and author. He became a full-time novelist at the age of 30. Biography Born in 1970, Atkins is the son of NFL player Billy Atkins. Atkins lettered for the Auburn University football te ...

– ''

Lullaby A lullaby (), or a cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies, they are used to pass down cultural knowl ...

'' (May 1) *

Laird Barron Laird Samuel Barron (born March 5, 1970) is an American author and poet, much of whose work falls within the horror, noir, or horror noir and dark fantasy genres. He has also been the managing editor of the online literary magazine ''Melic Re ...

– ''The Croning'' (May 1) *

Ted Bell Theodore Augustus Bell III (July 3, 1946 – January 20, 2023) was an American author of 12 suspense novels, including ''Hawke'', ''Assassin'', ''Pirate'', ''Spy'', ''Warlord'', ''Phantom'', and ''Overkill''. He is best known for his ''New York ...

– ''Phantom'' (March 20) *

Alex Berenson Alex Norman Berenson (born January 6, 1973) is an American writer who was a reporter for ''The New York Times'', and has authored several thriller novels as well a book on corporate financial filings. His 2019 book '' Tell Your Children: The Trut ...

– ''The Shadow Patrol'' (February 21) * Steve Berry – ''The Columbus Affair'' (May 15) *

James Lee Burke James Lee Burke (born December 5, 1936) is an American author, best known for his Dave Robicheaux series. He has won Edgar Awards for his novels ''Black Cherry Blues'' (1990), ''Cimarron Rose'' (1998), and ''Flags on the Bayou'' (2024). He has ...

– ''Creole Belle'' (July 17) *

Lee Child James Dover Grant (born 29 October 1954), primarily known by his pen name Lee Child, is a British author who writes Thriller (genre), thriller novels, and is best known for his ''Jack Reacher (book series), Jack Reacher'' novel series. The boo ...

– '' A Wanted Man'' (September 27) *

Lincoln Child Lincoln Child (born October 13, 1957) is an American author of techno-thriller and horror novels. Though he is most well known for his collaborations with Douglas Preston (including the Agent Pendergast series and the Gideon Crew series, among ...

– ''

The Third Gate The American author Lincoln Child has released a number of novels and works. Stand-alone novels Utopia (2002) ''Utopia'' is the first solo novel by Lincoln Child, published in 2002. It is set in a futuristic amusement park called ''Utopia'', a ...

'' (June 12) *

Harlan Coben Harlan Coben (born January 4, 1962) is an American writer of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or fatal accidents and have multiple ...

– ''Stay Close'' (March 20) *

Michael Connelly Michael Joseph Connelly (born July 21, 1956) is an American author of Detective fiction, detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring Los Angeles Police Department, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and cr ...

– '' The Black Box'' (November 26) *

Robert Crais Robert Crais (pronounced ; born June 20, 1953) is an American author of detective fiction and former screenwriter. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as '' Hill Street Blues'', '' Cagney & Lacey'', '' Quincy'', '' M ...

– '' Taken'' (January 24) *

Justin Cronin Justin Cronin (born 1962) is an American author. He has written six novels: ''Mary and O'Neil, The Ferryman,'' and ''The Summer Guest'', as well as a vampire trilogy consisting of ''The Passage (Cronin novel), The Passage,'' ''The Twelve (novel ...

– '' The Twelve'' (October 16) *

Clive Cussler Clive Eric Cussler (July 15, 1931 – February 24, 2020) was an American adventure novelist and underwater explorer. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have been listed on ''The New York Times'' fiction best-sell ...

– '' The Storm'' (June 5) *

Nelson DeMille Nelson Richard DeMille (August 23, 1943 – September 17, 2024) was an American author of Adventure fiction, action adventure and Thriller (genre), suspense novels. His novels include ''Plum Island (novel), Plum Island'', ''The Charm School (nov ...

– '' The Panther'' (October 16) *

Gillian Flynn Gillian Schieber Flynn (; born February 24, 1971) is an American author, screenwriter, and producer, best known for her Thriller (genre), thriller and Mystery fiction, mystery novels ''Sharp Objects'' (2006), ''Dark Places (Flynn novel), Dark Plac ...

– '' Gone Girl'' (June 5) *

Vince Flynn Vincent Joseph Flynn (April 6, 1966 – June 19, 2013) was an American author of political thriller novels featuring the fictional assassin Mitch Rapp. He was a story consultant for the fifth season of the television series ''24 (television), 24'' ...

– ''Kill Shot'' (February 7) *

Seth Grahame-Smith Seth Grahame-Smith (born Seth Jared Greenberg; January 4, 1976) is an American writer and film producer, best known as the author of ''The New York Times'' best-selling novels '' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' and '' Abraham Lincoln, Vampire ...

– ''Unholy Night'' (April 10) *

John Grisham John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955) is an American novelist, lawyer, and former politician, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the Academy of Achievement, American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 ...

**'' Calico Joe'' (April 10) **'' The Racketeer'' (legal thriller, October 23) *

Philip Kerr Philip Ballantyne Kerr (22 February 1956 – 23 March 2018) was a British author, best known for his Bernie Gunther series of historical detective thrillers. Early life Kerr was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, where his father was an enginee ...

– ''Prague Fatale'' (April 17) * Tom Knox – ''The Lost Goddess'' (February 7) *

Dean Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as thriller (genre), suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror fiction, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Mystery fiction, mystery, and sati ...

– '' Odd Apocalypse'' (July 31) * William Landay – ''

Defending Jacob ''Defending Jacob'' is an American crime drama novel written by novelist William Landay. The book was published in January 2012 by Random House. It tells the story of a father dealing with the accusation that his 14-year-old son is a murderer. ...

'' (January 31) * Joe R. Lansdale – '' Edge of Dark Water'' (March 12) *

Dennis Lehane Dennis Lehane (born August 4, 1965) is an American author and screenwriter. He has published more than a dozen novels; the first several were a series of mysteries featuring recurring characters, including '' A Drink Before the War''. Four of hi ...

– ''

Live by Night ''Live by Night'' is a crime novel by American writer Dennis Lehane, published in 2012. It won a 2013 Edgar Award for novel of the year. Plot summary By 1926, Prohibition has given rise to an endless network of underground distilleries, sp ...

'' (October 2) *

Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story author and screenwriter. He was, according to British journalist Anthony Lane, "hailed as one of the best crime writers in the land". His earliest no ...

– '' Raylan'' (January 17) * Robert R. McCammon – ''The Providence Rider'' (May 31) *

Jo Nesbø Jon "Jo" Nesbø (; born 29 March 1960) is a Norwegian novelist and musician. His books had sold over 50 million copies worldwide by 2021, making him the most successful Norwegian author to date. Siegel, Lee (5 May 2014).Pure Evil: Jo Nesbø and th ...

– ''Phantom'' (October 2) * Michael Palmer – ''

Oath of Office An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Suc ...

'' (February 14) *

Ridley Pearson Ridley Pearson (born March 13, 1953, in Glen Cove, New York) is an American author of suspense, thriller and adventure books. Several of his books have appeared on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. Literary career Pearson became the fir ...

– '' The Risk Agent'' (June 19) *

Matthew Reilly Matthew John Reilly (born 2 July 1974) is an internationally bestselling Australian action thriller writer.
". Retrieved 10 ...

– '' Scarecrow Returns'' (January 3) *

Jeremy Robinson Jeremy Robinson (born October 22, 1974), also known as Jeremy Bishop, Jeremiah Knight, and other pen names, is an author of sixty novels and novellas. He is known for mixing elements of science, history, and mythology. Many of his novels have b ...

– ''Second World'' (May 22) *

James Rollins James Paul Czajkowski (born August 20, 1961), better known by his pen name of James Rollins, is an American veterinarian and writer of action-adventure/ thriller, mystery, and techno-thriller novels who gave up his veterinary practice in Sacra ...

– ''Bloodline'' (June 26) *

Greg Rucka Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', '' Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well ...

– ''Alpha'' (May 22) * John Sandford – ''Stolen Prey'' (May 15) *

Scott Sigler Scott Carl Sigler is an American author of science fiction and Horror fiction, horror and a podcaster. Scott is a ''The New York Times, New York Times'' No. 1 bestselling author of twenty novels, six novellas, dozens of short stories, and thousan ...

– ''

Nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...

'' (April 3) * Daniel Silva – ''Fallen Angel'' (July 17) *

James Swain James Swain (born June 7, 1956) is an American crime fiction author and magician. Swain has written at more than fifteen fiction and non-fiction books. Many have been translated into twelve languages.Brad Thor Bradley George Thor Jr. (born August 21, 1969) is an American thriller novelist. He is the author of '' The Lions of Lucerne'', '' The First Commandment'', '' The Last Patriot'', and other novels. Thor's novels have been published in countries ...

– ''Black List'' (July 31) *

Joseph Wambaugh Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh Jr. (January 22, 1937 – February 28, 2025) was an American writer known for his fictional and nonfictional accounts of police work in the United States. Many of his novels are set in Los Angeles and its surroundings an ...

–''Harbor Nocturne'' (April 3) * David Wellington – ''32 Fangs'' (April 24) * F. Paul Wilson – '' Nightworld'' (May 22)

Non-fiction

Marty Appel Martin E. Appel (born August 7, 1948) is an American public relations and sports management executive, television executive producer, baseball historian and author. Appel served as Public Relations Director for the New York Yankees from 1973 to ...

– ''Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss'' (May 8) *

Alison Bechdel Alison Bechdel ( ; born September 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist. Originally known for the long-running comic strip ''Dykes to Watch Out For'', she came to critical and commercial success in 2006 with her Graphic novel, graphic memoir ''Fun ...

– '' Are You My Mother?'' (memoir, May 1) *

Antony Beevor Sir Antony James Beevor, (born 14 December 1946) is a British military historian. He has published several popular historical works, mainly on the Second World War, the Spanish Civil War, and most recently the Russian Revolution and Civil War. ...

– ''The Second World War'' (June 5) *

Katherine Boo Katherine J. "Kate" Boo (born August 12, 1964) is an American investigative journalist who has documented the lives of people in poverty. She has received the MacArthur Fellowship (2002), the National Book Award for Nonfiction (2012), and her wor ...

– ''

Behind the Beautiful Forevers Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity is a 2012 non-fiction book by Katherine Boo. The book chronicles the lives of residents in Annawadi, a slum near the Mumbai airport, offering an intimate portrait of pov ...

'' (February 7) *

David Byrne David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads. Byrne has ...

– '' How Music Works'' (December 12) *

Gregor Collins Gregor Collins is an American author, speaker, producer and former actor, most known for writing '' The Accidental Caregiver'', a memoir about the three years he spent with Maria Altmann. Career Collins moved to Los Angeles in 2000 to pursue a ...

– '' The Accidental Caregiver'' (August 18) *

Susan Cain Susan Horowitz CainQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking'' (January 24) *

Sean Connolly Sean Connolly () was an Irish republican, socialist and Abbey Theatre actor who took part in the Easter Rising. He was a captain in the Irish Citizen Army and was the first rebel to be killed during the Rising. Early life and family Connolly wa ...

– ''The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math'' (March 14) * Charles Duhigg – '' The Power of Habit'' (February 28) *

Michael Hastings Michael or Mike Hastings may refer to: *Michael Hastings (playwright) (1938–2011), British playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and poet *Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun Michael Edward Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun (born Mic ...

– '' The Operators'' (January 10) * Lawrence M. Krauss – ''

A Universe from Nothing ''A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing'' is a non-fiction book by the physicist Lawrence M. Krauss, initially published on January 10, 2012, by Free Press. It discusses modern cosmogony and its implications for th ...

'' (January 10) *

Mark Levin Mark Reed Levin (; born September 21, 1957) is an American broadcast news analyst, columnist, lawyer, political commentator, radio personality, and writer. He is the host of syndicated radio show '' The Mark Levin Show'', as well as '' Life, ...

– '' Ameritopia'' (January 17) *

George Megalogenis George Megalogenis (born 1964)Bryant, NickGeorge Megalogenis ''Aesop Register'', 2013. is an Australian journalist, political commentator and author. Early life Born in Melbourne, Megalogenis attended Melbourne High School and went on to study e ...

– ''

The Australian Moment ''The Australian Moment: How We Were Made for These Times'' is a 2012 Australian economics book by George Megalogenis. It explains how Australia has been able to weather recent world economic problems relatively unscathed. Reception Dennis Altm ...

'' *

Masha Gessen Masha Gessen () is a Russian and American journalist, author, and translator who has written extensively on LGBT rights. Gessen writes primarily in English but also in Russian. In addition to authoring several nonfiction books, Gessen has con ...

– '' The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin'' (March 1) * Dan Jones – '' The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England'' (UK) *

Jonah Lehrer Jonah Richard Lehrer (born June 25, 1981) is an American author and blogger. Lehrer studied neuroscience at Columbia University and was a Rhodes Scholar. Thereafter, he built a media career that integrated science and humanities content to addre ...

– ''

Imagine Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...

'' (March 20) *

Rachel Maddow Rachel Anne Maddow ( ; born April 1, 1973) is an American television news program host and liberal political commentator. She hosts '' The Rachel Maddow Show'', a weekly television show on MSNBC, and serves as the cable network's special event ...

– '' Drift'' (March 27) *

Marilynne Robinson Marilynne Summers Robinson (born November 26, 1943) is an American novelist and essayist. Across her writing career, Robinson has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005, National Humanities Medal in 2012, and th ...

– ''When I Was a Child I Read Books'' (March 27) *

Michael Lind Michael Lind (born April 23, 1962) is an American writer and academic. He has explained and defended the tradition of American democratic nationalism in a number of books, beginning with ''The Next American Nation: The New Nationalism and the Fou ...

– '' Land of Promise'' (April 17) *

Jonathan Haidt Jonathan David Haidt (; born October 19, 1963) is an American social psychologist and author. He is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at the New York University Stern School of Business. Haidt's main areas of study are the psyc ...

– ''

The Righteous Mind ''The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion'' is a 2012 social psychology book by Jonathan Haidt, in which the author describes human morality as it relates to politics and religion. In the first section, Haidt dem ...

'' (April 2) *

E. O. Wilson Edward Osborne Wilson (June 10, 1929 – December 26, 2021) was an American biologist, naturalist, ecologist, and entomologist known for developing the field of sociobiology. Born in Alabama, Wilson found an early interest in nature and frequ ...

– '' The Social Conquest of Earth'' (April 9) *

Nancy Gibbs Nancy Reid Gibbs (born January 25, 1960) is an American essayist, speaker, and presidential historian. She is the former managing editor for ''TIME'' magazine, an author, and commentator on politics and values in the United States. She is the co- ...

and Michael Duffy – ''The President's Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity'' (April 19) * Edward Humes – ''Garbology (book), Garbology'' (April 19) *

Peter Bergen Peter Lampert Bergen (born December 12, 1962) is an American journalist, documentary producer, historian, and author, best known for his work on national security and counterterrorism. He has written or edited ten books—three of which were ...

– ''Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden, from 9/11 to Abbottabad'' (May 1) *

Steve Coll Steve Coll (born October 8, 1958) is an American journalist, academic, and executive. He was dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he also served as the Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism until 2022. A staff w ...

– ''Private Empire'' (May 1) *

Robert A. Caro Robert Allan Caro (born October 30, 1935) is an American journalist and author known for his biographies of United States political figures Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson. After working for many years as a reporter, Caro wrote ''The Power Broke ...

– '' The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson'' (May 1) *

Warren Littlefield Warren W. Littlefield (born May 11, 1952) is an American television executive. Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Littlefield attended Montclair High School and graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, where he was awar ...

and T. R. Pearson – ''Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV'' (May 1) * Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein – '' It's Even Worse Than It Looks'' (May 1) *

Tom Holland Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award, he featured on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list of 2019. Some publications have called him one of the most ...

– ''In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire'' (May 15) * Callum Roberts – ''The Ocean of Life'' (May 22) *

Douglas Brinkley Douglas Brinkley (born December 14, 1960) is an American author, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities, and professor of history at Rice University. Brinkley is a history commentator for CNN, Presidential Historian for the New York Historica ...

– ''Cronkite'' (May 29) *

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

– '' American Grown'' (May 29) *

Christoph Ransmayr Christoph Ransmayr (; born 20 March 1954) is an Austrian writer. Life Born in Wels, Upper Austria, Ransmayr grew up in Roitham near Gmunden and the Traunsee. From 1972 to 1978 he studied philosophy and ethnology in Vienna. He worked there as ...

– ''

Atlas of an Anxious Man ''Atlas of an Anxious Man'' () is a 2012 book by the Austrian writer Christoph Ransmayr. It consists of 70 texts with impressions from different places in the world, each beginning with the words "I saw". The book was published in English in 2016, ...

'' (''Atlas eines ängstlichen Mannes''; Austria) *

Arun Shourie Arun Shourie (; born 2 November 1941) is an Indian economist, journalist, author and politician. He has worked as an economist with the World Bank, a consultant to the Planning Commission of India, editor of the ''Indian Express'' and ''The Time ...

– '' Worshipping False Gods'' *

Amity Shlaes Amity Ruth Shlaes ( ; born September 10, 1960) is an American conservative author, writer, and columnist. Shlaes has written five books, including three ''New York Times'' Bestsellers. She currently chairs the board of trustees of the Calvin Cool ...

– ''Coolidge'' (June 26) * Peter Watson – ''The Great Divide'' (June 26) *

Ro Khanna Rohit Khanna (born September 13, 1976) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from California's 17th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (Un ...

– ''Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing is Still Key to America's Future'' (July 24) * Jim Holt – ''

Why Does the World Exist? ''Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story'' is a nonfiction work authored by Jim Holt. He and the book were on the ''LA Times'' bestseller list during the last quarter of 2012, and the first quarter of 2013. The book was also a ...

'' (July 16) * Michael D. Lemonick – '' Mirror Earth'' (October 16) *

Helaine Olen Helaine Olen is an American journalist and author based in New York. She is a columnist for ''The Washington Post'' and, before that, ''Slate'', where she wrote the column ''The Bills''. She is the author or co-author of three books: ''Office Ma ...

– '' Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry''

Deaths

January 3 Events Pre-1600 *AD 69, 69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor. * 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (ex ...

–

Josef Škvorecký Josef Škvorecký (; September 27, 1924 – January 3, 2012) was a Czech-Canadian writer and publisher. He spent half of his life in Canada, publishing and supporting banned Czech literature during the communist era. Škvorecký was awarded the ...

, Czech-born novelist and publisher (born

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...

) *

January 7 Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – The Senate of the Roman Republic, Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army, prompting the tribunes who support him to flee to where Caesar is waiting in Ravenna ...

– Ibrahim Aslan, Egyptian journalist and author (born

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

) *

January 19 Events Pre-1600 * 379 – Emperor Gratian elevates Flavius Theodosius at Sirmium to '' Augustus'', and gives him authority over all the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. * 649 – Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surren ...

– Shraga Gafni ( On Sarig), Israeli children's author (born

1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...

) *

January 23 Events Pre-1600 * 393 – Roman emperor Theodosius I proclaims his eight-year-old son Honorius co-emperor. * 971 – Using crossbows, Song dynasty troops soundly defeat a war elephant corps of the Southern Han at Shao. * 1229 ...

–

Maurice Meisner Maurice Jerome Meisner (November 17, 1931 – January 23, 2012) was an American sinologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He studied the Chinese Communist Revolution and the People's Republic and held a strong interest i ...

, American historian, author, and academic (born

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) *

January 28 Events Pre-1600 *AD 98, 98 – On the death of Nerva, Trajan is declared Roman emperor in Cologne, the seat of his government in lower Germany. * 814 – The death of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, brings about the accessi ...

– Don Starkell, Canadian diarist and author (born

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

) *

January 29 Events Pre-1600 * 904 – Sergius III is elected pope, after coming out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher. * 946 – Caliph al-Mustakfi is blinded and deposed by Mu'izz al-Dawla, ruler ...

–

Damien Bona Damien Conrad Bona (March 18, 1955 – January 29, 2012) was an American film historian, writer, film critic and journalist. Bona co-authored the 1986 reference book, "Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards," a definitive histor ...

, American historian and journalist (born

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) *

January 30 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 es ...

– Bill Wallace, American children's author and educator (born

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

) *

February 1 Events Pre-1600 * 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. * 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), ...

–

Wisława Szymborska Maria Wisława Anna SzymborskaVioletta Szostagazeta.pl, 9 February 2012. ostęp 11 February 2012 (; 2 July 1923 – 1 February 2012) was a Polish people, Polish poet, essayist, translator, and recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Liter ...

, Polish poet and Nobel laureate (born

1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...

) *

February 3 Events Pre-1600 * 1047 – Drogo of Hauteville is elected as count of the Apulian Normans during the Norman conquest of Southern Italy. * 1112 – Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, and Douce I, Countess of Provence, marry, u ...

–

John Christopher Sam Youd (16 April 1922 – 3 February 2012) was a British writer best known for science fiction written under the name of John Christopher, including the novels '' The Death of Grass'', ''The Possessors'', and the young-adult novel series ...

(Samuel Youd) English science fiction novelist (born

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

) *

February 4 Events Pre–1600 * 211 – Following the death of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus at Eboracum (modern York, England) while preparing to lead a campaign against the Caledonians, the empire is left in the control of his two quarrellin ...

–

Irene McKinney Irene McKinney (April 20, 1939 – February 4, 2012) was an American poet and editing, editor, and served as the Poet Laureate of the U.S. state, state of West Virginia from her appointment by List of Governors of West Virginia, Governor Gaston C ...

, American poet (born

1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...

) *

–

John Turner Sargent Sr. John Turner Sargent Sr. (June 26, 1924 – February 5, 2012) was president and CEO of the Doubleday and Company publishing house from 1963 to 1978, taking over from the previous president, Douglas Black. He led the expansion of the company from "a ...

, American publisher (born

) *

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 ...

–

Barney Rosset Barnet Lee "Barney" Rosset, Jr. (May 28, 1922 – February 21, 2012) was a pioneering American book and magazine publisher. An avant-garde taste maker, he founded Grove Press in 1951 and ''Evergreen Review'' in 1957, both of which gave him platf ...

, American publisher (born

) *

March 21 Events Pre-1600 * 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the '' Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas ...

–

Christine Brooke-Rose Christine Brooke-Rose (16 January 1923 – 21 March 2012) was a British writer and literary critic, known principally for her experimental novels.1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...

) *

March 25 Until 1752 it was the official date of the beginning of the year in England and its dominions (in the Julian calendar). Events Pre-1600 * 410 – The Southern Yan capital of Guanggu falls to the Jin dynasty general Liu Yu, ending th ...

–

Antonio Tabucchi Antonio Tabucchi (; 24 September 1943 – 25 March 2012) was an Italian writer and academic who taught Portuguese language and literature at the University of Siena, Italy. Deeply in love with Portugal, he was an expert, critic and translator o ...

, Italian writer (born

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 � ...

) *

March 27 Events Pre-1600 * 1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized Ferrara, a papal fiefdom. * 1329 – Pope John XXII ...

–

Adrienne Rich Adrienne Cecile Rich ( ; May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012) was an American poet, essayist and feminist. She was called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century", and was credited with bringing "the ...

, American writer (born

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) *

March 28 Events Pre-1600 * AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate. * 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Did ...

–

John Arden John Arden (26 October 1930 – 28 March 2012) was an English playwright who at his death was lauded as "one of the most significant British playwrights of the late 1950s and early 60s". Career Born in Barnsley, son of the manager of a glass ...

, English playwright (born

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be on J ...

) *

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 ...

– Sarah Dreher, American novelist and playwright (born

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...

) *

April 7 Events Pre-1600 * 451 – Attila the Hun captures Metz in France, killing most of its inhabitants and burning the town. * 529 – First '' Corpus Juris Civilis'', a fundamental work in jurisprudence, is issued by Eastern Roman Em ...

–

Miss Read Dora Jessie Saint MBE (17 April 1913 – 7 April 2012), née Shafe, best known by the pen name Miss Read, was an English novelist and, by profession, a schoolmistress. Her pseudonym was derived from her mother's maiden name. She is best known ...

(Dora Jesse Shafe), English novelist (born

1913 Events January * January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city. * January 3 &ndash ...

) *

April 8 Events Pre-1600 * 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus. * 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids. * 1139 – ...

– Janusz K. Zawodny, Polish-American and political scientist (born

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

) *

April 17 Events Pre-1600 * 1080 – Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized. * 1349 – The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of H ...

–

Leila Berg Leila Berg (born Leila Goller, Salford, 12 November 1917 – 17 April 2012) was an English children's author, editor and play specialist. She was well known as a journalist and a writer on education and children's rights. Berg was a recipient of ...

, English children's writer and activist (born

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

) *

April 26 Events Pre-1600 * 1336 – Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux. * 1478 – The Pazzi family attack on Lorenzo de' Medici in order to displace the ruling Medici family kills his brother Giuliano during High Mass in Fl ...

–

Ardian Klosi Ardian Klosi (9 July 1957 – 26 April 2012) was an Albanian publicist, albanologist, writer, translator and social activist. He graduated Albanian literature at the University of Tirana in 1981 and received his PhD on German and Comparative Li ...

, Albanian publicist and writer (suicide, born

1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...

) *

May 8 Events Pre-1600 * 453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin. * 413 – Emperor Honorius signs a ...

–

Maurice Sendak Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was impacted by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Send ...

, American children's author and illustrator (born

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

) *

May 12 Events Pre-1600 * 254 – Pope Stephen I succeeds Pope Lucius I, becoming the 23rd pope of the Catholic Church, and immediately takes a stand against Novatianism. * 907 – Zhu Wen forces Emperor Ai into abdicating, ending the ...

–

Walter Wink Walter Wink (May 21, 1935 – May 10, 2012) was an American Biblical scholar, theologian, and activist who was an important figure in Progressive Christianity. Wink spent much of his career teaching at Auburn Theological Seminary in New Yor ...

, American theologian and scholar (born

) *

May 15 Events Pre-1600 * 221 – Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty. * 392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurpe ...

Jean Craighead George Jean Carolyn Craighead George (July 2, 1919 – May 15, 2012) was an American people, American writer of more than one hundred Children's literature, books for children and young adult literature, young adults, including the Newbery Medal-win ...

, American novelist (born

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (later Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off th ...

) **

Carlos Fuentes Carlos Fuentes Macías (; ; November 11, 1928 – May 15, 2012) was a Mexican novelist and essayist. Among his works are ''The Death of Artemio Cruz'' (1962), '' Aura'' (1962), '' Terra Nostra'' (1975), '' The Old Gringo'' (1985) and '' Christop ...

, Mexican novelist and essayist (born

) *

May 26 Events Pre-1600 * 17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe. * 451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sasanian Empire ta ...

–

Leo Dillon Leo Dillon (March 2, 1933 – May 26, 2012) and Diane Dillon (''née'' Sorber; born March 13, 1933) were American illustrators of children's books and adult paperback book and magazine covers. One obituary of Leo called the work of the husba ...

, American children's author and illustrator (born

1933 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...

) *

June 5 Events Pre-1600 * 830 – Theodora is crowned Byzantine empress and marries then emperor Theophilos in the Hagia Sophia. She is credited with restoring orthodoxy and the icons. * 1086 – Tutush, brother of Seljuk sultan Malik Sh ...

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...

, American science-fiction and fantasy author (born

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...

) **

Barry Unsworth Barry Unsworth FRSL (10 August 19304 June 2012) was an English writer known for his historical fiction. He published 17 novels, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times, winning once for the 1992 novel '' Sacred Hunger''. Biograph ...

, English writer of historical fiction (born

) *

June 19 Events Pre-1600 * 325 – The original Nicene Creed is adopted at the First Council of Nicaea. * 1179 – The Battle of Kalvskinnet takes place outside Nidaros (now Trondheim), Norway. Earl Erling Skakke is killed, and the battle cha ...

– Emili Teixidor, Catalan journalist and author (born

) *

June 23 Events Pre-1600 * 229 – Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu. * 1266 – War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships. * 1280 – The Spanish ...

–

Marjorie Chibnall Marjorie McCallum Chibnall (27 September 1915 – 23 June 2012) was an English historian, medievalist and Latin translator. She edited the ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' by Orderic Vitalis, with whom she shared the same birthplace of Atcham in S ...

, medievalist, biographer and translator (born

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January *January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 * ...

) *

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 ...

– Carol Kendall, American children's writer (born

) *

July 30 Events Pre-1600 * 762 – Baghdad is founded. * 1419 – First Defenestration of Prague: A crowd of radical Hussites kill seven members of the Prague city council. * 1502 – Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay I ...

Maeve Binchy Anne Maeve Binchy Snell (28 May 1939Born 1939 as per biography, ''Maeve Binchy'' by Piers Dudgeon, Thomas Dunne Books 2013; (hardcover), pp. 4, 280, 302; (ebook) – 30 July 2012) was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, column ...

, Irish novelist, playwright and short story writer (born

) **

Héctor Tizón Héctor Tizón (21 October 1929 – 30 July 2012) was an Argentine writer and diplomat. He lived and worked from the ancestral home of his parents in Yala, a small rural town some north of San Salvador de Jujuy. Tizón served as the cultural ...

, Argentinian writer and diplomat (born

) *

July 31 Events Pre-1600 *30 BC – Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide. * 781 – The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Tr ...

Mollie Hunter Maureen Mollie Hunter McIlwraith (30 June 1922 – 31 July 2012) was a Scottish writer known as Mollie Hunter. She wrote fantasy for children, historical stories for young adults, and realistic novels for adults. Many of her works are inspired b ...

, Scottish novelist and children's writer (born

) **

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 ...

, American novelist, playwright and political commentator (born

1925 Events January * January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...

) *

August 2 Events Pre-1600 *338 BC – A Ancient Macedonian army, Macedonian army led by Philip II of Macedon, Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes, Greece, Thebes in the Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC), Battle of Chaeronea, secu ...

** Amos Hakham, Israeli biblical scholar (born

) **Sir

John Keegan Sir John Desmond Patrick Keegan (15 May 1934 – 2 August 2012) was an English military historian, lecturer, author and journalist. He wrote many published works on the nature of combat between prehistory and the 21st century, covering land, ...

, English military historian and journalist (born

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

) ** Gilbert Prouteau, French poet and film director (born

) *

August 4 Events Pre-1600 * 598 – Goguryeo–Sui War#Course of the war, Goguryeo-Sui War: In response to a Goguryeo (Korean) incursion into Liaoxi, Emperor Emperor Wen of Sui, Wéndi of Sui dynasty, Sui orders his youngest son, Yang Liang (assiste ...

– Henry Scholberg, American bibliographer (born

) *

August 6 Events Pre-1600 *686 – The Ummayad forces suffer a deceisive defeat against the pro-Alid forces under Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar in the battle of Khazir. *1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria (1284), Battle o ...

– Robert Hughes, Australian critic and historian (born

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

) *

August 11 Events Pre-1600 * 3114 BC – The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by several pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, notably the Maya, begins. * 2492 BC – Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and foun ...

–

Heidi Holland Heidi Holland (6 October 1947 – 11 August 2012), also known as Heidi Hull (during her first marriage), was a South African journalist and author who had been involved in the journalism industry for over 30 years. She edited ''Illustrated Life ...

, South African journalist and author (born

) *

August 22 Events Pre-1600 * 392 – Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. * 851 – Battle of Jengland: Erispoe defeats Charles the Bald near the Breton town of Jengland. * 1138 – Battle of the Standard between Scot ...

–

Nina Bawden Nina Mary Bawden CBE, FRSL, JP (19 January 1925 – 22 August 2012) was an English novelist and children's writer. She was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1987 and the Lost Man Booker Prize in 2010. She was a recipient of the Golden PEN ...

, English novelist and children's writer (born

) *

September 6 Events Pre-1600 * 394 – Battle of the Frigidus: Roman emperor Theodosius I defeats and kills Eugenius the usurper. His Frankish ''magister militum'' Arbogast escapes but commits suicide two days later. *1492 – Christopher Co ...

–

Horacio Vázquez-Rial Horacio Vázquez-Rial (20 March 1947 – 6 September 2012) was an Argentine-born writer and translator who lived in Spain from 1968, mostly in Barcelona. He was nominated for the Nadal Prize in 1987 for ''Historia del triste'', and in March 1989 he ...

, Argentine-born Spanish writer (cancer, born

) *

September 8 Events Pre-1600 * 70 – After the capture of Herod's Palace the previous day, a Roman army under Titus secures and plunders the city of Jerusalem. * 617 – Battle of Huoyi: Li Yuan defeats a Sui dynasty army, opening the path ...

– Jon Tolaas, Norwegian poet and novelist (born

) *

September 10 Events Pre-1600 * 506 – The bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. * 1089 – The first synod of pope Urban II starts in Melfi, with seventy bishops and twelve abbots in attendance. The synod issues several decree ...

Ernesto de la Peña Ernesto, form of the name Ernest in several Romance languages, may refer to: * ''Ernesto'' (novel) (1953), an unfinished autobiographical novel by Umberto Saba, published posthumously in 1975 ** ''Ernesto'' (film), a 1979 Italian drama loosely ba ...

, Mexican writer (born

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...

) **

Hans Joachim Störig Hans Joachim Störig (25 July 1915 – 10 September 2012) was a German non-fiction author, translator, publisher ( Fischer Verlag) and lexicographer, best known for his ''Kleine Weltgeschichte der Philosophie''. Biography Störig was born i ...

, German writer, lexicographer and translator (born

) *

September 12 Events Pre-1600 * 490 BC – Battle of Marathon: The conventionally accepted date for the Battle of Marathon. The Athenians and their Plataean allies defeat the first Persian invasion force of Greece. * 372 – Sixteen Kingdoms: Sima ...

–

Arkadii Dragomoshchenko Arkadii Trofimovich Dragomoshchenko ( rus, Арка́дий Трофи́мович Драгомо́щенко, p=ɐrˈkadʲɪj trɐˈfʲiməvʲɪdʑ drəɡɐˈmoɕːɪnkə, a=Arkadiy Trofimovich Dragomoschyenko.ru.vorb.oga; 1946 – 12 September 2 ...

, Russian poet (born

1946 1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...

) *

September 14 Events Pre-1600 *AD 81 – Domitian became Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. * 786 – "Night of the three Caliphs": Harun al-Rashid becomes the Abbasid caliph upon the death of his brother al-Hadi. Bir ...

–

Louis Simpson Louis Aston Marantz Simpson (March 27, 1923 – September 14, 2012) was an American poet born in Jamaica. He won the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his work ''At the End of the Open Road''. Life and career Simpson was born in Jamaica, the s ...

, American poet (Alzheimer's disease, born

) *

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 ...

–

Fred Bodsworth Charles Frederick "Fred" Bodsworth (October 11, 1918 – September 15, 2012) was a Canadians, Canadian writer, journalist and amateur natural history, naturalist. Born in Port Burwell, Ontario, Port Burwell, Ontario, Bodsworth worked as a journa ...

, Canadian writer (born

1918 The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...

) *

September 20 Events Pre-1600 *1058 – Agnes of Poitou and Andrew I of Hungary meet to negotiate about the border territory of Burgenland. *1066 – At the Battle of Fulford, Harald Hardrada defeats earls Morcar and Edwin. * 1187 – Saladin ...

** Robert G. Barrett, Australian author (cancer, born

1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...

) **

Tereska Torrès Tereska Torrès (born Tereska Szwarc; 3 September 192020 September 2012) was a French writer known for the 1950 book '' Women's Barracks'', the first "original paperback bestseller." In 2008 historians credited the republished book as the first p ...

, French writer (born

) *

September 21 Events Pre-1600 * 455 – Emperor Avitus enters Italy with a Gallic army and consolidates his power. * 1170 – Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland: The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Anglo-Norman invaders. * 1217 – Livonian Crusa ...

–

Sven Hassel Sven Hassel was the pen name of the Danish-born Børge Willy Redsted Pedersen (19 April 1917 – 21 September 2012) known for his novels about German soldiers fighting in World War II. In Denmark he used the pen name ''Sven Hazel''. He is one of ...

(Børge Pedersen), Danish novelist (born

) *

September 22 Events Pre-1600 * 904 – The warlord Zhu Quanzhong kills Emperor Zhaozong, the penultimate emperor of the Tang dynasty, after seizing control of the imperial government. * 1236 – The Samogitians defeat the Livonian Brothers of the ...

–

Irving Adler Irving Adler (April 27, 1913 – September 22, 2012) was an American author, mathematician, scientist, political activist, and educator. He was the author of 57 books (some under the pen name Robert Irving) about mathematics, science, and e ...

, American author, mathematician, and scientist (born

) *

October 7 Events Pre-1600 * 3761 BC – The epoch reference date (start) of the modern Hebrew calendar. * 1403 – Venetian–Genoese wars: The Genoese fleet under a French admiral is defeated by a Venetian fleet at the Battle of Modon. * 1477 ...

–

Ivo Michiels Henri Paul René Ceuppens (8 January 1923 – 7 October 2012), who wrote under the pseudonym Ivo Michiels, was a Belgian writer. Biography Michiels was born in Mortsel. During World War II he was employed as a nurse in a hospital in Lübeck ...

(Henri Paul René Ceuppens), Belgian writer in Flemish (born

) *

October 21 Events Pre-1600 *1096 – A Seljuk Turkish army successfully fights off the People's Crusade at the Battle of Civetot. * 1097 – First Crusade: Crusaders led by Godfrey of Bouillon, Bohemund of Taranto, and Raymond IV, Count of Toul ...

–

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...

, American politician and writer (born

) *

October 25 Events Pre-1600 * 285 or 286 – Execution of Crispin and Crispinian, Saints Crispin and Crispinian during the reign of Diocletian, now the patron saints of leather workers, curriers, and shoemakers. * 473 – Emperor Leo I (emperor), ...

–

Aude Aude ( ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Southern France, located in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region and named after the river Aude (river), Aude. The departmental council also calls it " ...

, Canadian novelist (born

) *

October 29 Events Pre-1600 * 312 – Constantine the Great enters Rome after his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, stages a grand '' adventus'' in the city, and is met with popular jubilation. Maxentius' body is fished out of the Tiber ...

–

J. Bernlef Hendrik Jan Marsman (14 January 1937 – 29 October 2012), better known by his pen name, J. Bernlef, was a Dutch writer, poet, novelist and translator, much of whose work centres on mental perception of reality and its expression. He won numerou ...

, Dutch writer (born

) *

November 2 Events Pre-1600 * 619 – A qaghan of the Western Turkic Khaganate is assassinated in a Chinese palace by Eastern Turkic rivals after the approval of Tang emperor Gaozu. * 1410 – The Peace of Bicêtre suspends hostilities in t ...

Han Suyin Rosalie Matilda Kuanghu Chou (; 12 September 1917 or 1916 – 2 November 2012) was a Chinese-born Eurasian physician and author better known by her pen name Han Suyin (). She wrote in English and French on modern China, set her novels in East an ...

, Chinese-born novelist (born

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Empire, British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that has been stored ...

) **

János Rózsás János Rózsás (6 August 1926 – 2 November 2012) was a Hungarians, Hungarian writer. Rózsás was born in Budapest. He was held captive in the Soviet Union between 1944 and 1953, and it was during this period of internment that he became fr ...

, Hungarian writer (born

) *

November 19 Events Pre-1600 * 461 – Libius Severus is declared emperor of the Western Roman Empire. The real power is in the hands of the ''magister militum'' Ricimer. * 636 – The Rashidun Caliphate defeats the Sasanian Empire at the Battle ...

– Boris Strugatsky, Soviet Russian writer (pneumonia, born

) *

November 20 Events Pre-1600 * 284 – Diocletian is chosen as Roman emperor. * 762 – During the An Shi Rebellion, the Tang dynasty, with the help of Huihe tribe, recaptures Luoyang from the rebels. *1194 – Palermo is conquered by Henry ...

–

Ivan Kušan Ivan Kušan (30 August 1933 – 20 November 2012) was a Croatian writer. Kušan was born in Sarajevo, Kingdom of Yugoslavia to the family of Jakša Kušan, a bookstore owner. The family moved to Zagreb in 1939. At the age of ten Ivan discovered hi ...

, Croatian writer (born

) *

November 22 Events Pre-1600 * 498 – After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Palace, while Laurentius is elected Pope in Santa Maria Maggiore. * 845 – The first duke of Brittany, Nominoe, defeats the Fran ...

–

Jan Trefulka Jan Trefulka (15 May 1929 – 22 November 2012) was a Czech writer, translator, literary critic and publicist. Biography Trefulka was born in Brno, Czech Republic, where he also died. He attended school with Milan Kundera and the pair remained lif ...

, Czech writer and dissident (renal failure, born

) *

December 1 Events Pre-1600 * 800 – A council is convened in the Vatican, at which Charlemagne is to judge the accusations against Pope Leo III. * 1420 – Henry V of England enters Paris alongside his father-in-law King Charles VI of France. * ...

– Ahmed Taib El Alj, Moroccan playwright (born

) *

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 ...

–

Vasily Belov Vasily Ivanovich Belov (; 23 October 1932 – 4 December 2012) was a Soviet and Russian writer, poet and dramatist, who published more than sixty books which sold (as of 1998) seven million copies. A prominent member of the influential 1970s–198 ...

, Russian novelist, poet and dramatist (born

) *

December 6 Events Pre-1600 * 1060 – Béla I is crowned king of Hungary. * 1240 – Mongol invasion of Rus': Kyiv, defended by Voivode Dmytro, falls to the Mongols under Batu Khan. *1492 – After exploring the island of Cuba (which he h ...

–

Jan Carew Jan Rynveld Carew (24 September 1920 – 6 December 2012) was a Guyana-born novelist, playwright, poet and educator, who lived at various times in The Netherlands, Mexico, the UK, France, Spain, Ghana, Jamaica, Canada and the United States. ...

, Guyanese novelist, poet and dramatist (born

) *

December 16 Events Pre-1600 * 714 – Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald, while his widow Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom. * ...

–

Fan Vavřincová Fan Vavřincová (17 November 1917 – 16 December 2012) was a Czech screenwriter, novelist, and author. Her credits as a screenwriter include the early 1970s television series, '' Taková normální rodinka''. In addition to screenwriting, Vavři ...

, Czech screenwriter, novelist, and author (born

) *

December 28 Events Pre-1600 * 418 – A papal election begins, resulting in the election of Pope Boniface I. * 457 – Majorian is acclaimed as Western Roman emperor. * 484 – Alaric II succeeds his father Euric and becomes king of the V ...

–

Jayne Cortez Jayne Cortez (May 10, 1934 – December 28, 2012) was an African-American poet, activist, small press publisher and spoken-word performance artist. Her writing is part of the canon of the Black Arts Movement. She was married to jazz saxophonist ...

, African-American poet (born

) *

December 31 It is known by a collection of names including: Saint Sylvester's Day, New Year's Eve or Old Year's Day/Night, as the following day is New Year's Day. It is the last day of the year; the following day is January 1, the first day of the followi ...

–

Jovette Marchessault Jovette Marchessault () (February 9, 1938 – December 31, 2012)

, Canadian novelist and playwright (born

)

Awards

Caine Prize for African Writing The Caine Prize for African Writing is an annual literary award for the best short story by an African writer, whether in Africa or elsewhere, published in the English language. Founded in the United Kingdom in 2000, the £10,000 prize was named ...

: Babatunde Rotimi, "Bombay's Republic" *

Camões Prize The Camões Prize (, ), named after Luís de Camões, is the most prestigious prize for literature in the Portuguese language. The prize was established in 1989 and is supported by the governments of Brazil and Portugal. It is awarded annually to ...

Dalton Trevisan Dalton Jérson Trevisan (14 June 1925 – 9 December 2024) was a Brazilian short story writer. He published more than thirty collections of short stories. He was awarded the 2011 Prêmio Machado de Assis and the 2012 Camões Prize. Life and w ...

* Carnegie Medal for children's literature:

Patrick Ness Patrick Ness Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL (born 17 October 1971) is an American-British author, journalist, lecturer, and screenwriter. Born in the United States, Ness moved to London and holds dual citizenship. He is best k ...

, '' A Monster Calls'' *

Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is a lifetime honor presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) to a living writer of fantasy or science fiction. It was first awarded in 1975, to Robert Heinlein. ...

Dayne Ogilvie Prize The Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Emerging Writers is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to an emerging Canadian writer who is part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer community. Origina ...

: Main award,

Amber Dawn Amber Dawn is a Canadian writer, who won the 2012 Dayne Ogilvie Prize, presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada to an emerging lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender writer.Mariko Tamaki Mariko Tamaki (born 1975) is a Canadian artist and writer. She is known for her graphic novels '' Skim'', ''Emiko Superstar,'' and '' This One Summer''."Mariko Tamaki". CBC Radio, '' The Next Chapter'', 12 November 2012. In 2016 she began writing ...

. *

Edna Staebler Award The Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction is an annual literary award recognizing the previous year's best creative nonfiction book with a "Canadian locale and/or significance" that is a Canadian writer's "first or second published book ...

for

Creative Non-Fiction Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, literary journalism or verfabula) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts ...

: Joshua Knelman, '' Hot Art'' *

European Book Prize The European Book Prize () is a European Union literary award established in 2007. It is organized by the association Esprit d'Europe in Paris. It seeks to promote European values, and to contribute to European citizens' better understanding of t ...

: Rolf Bauerdick, ''Madonna on the moon'', and

Luuk van Middelaar Luuk Johannes van Middelaar (born 9 May 1973 in Eindhoven) is a Dutch historian and political philosopher. From December 2009 to 2014 he was a member of the ''cabinet'' of Herman Van Rompuy, the first full-time President of the European Council. ...

, ''Europe's passage'' *

Governor General's Awards The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the governor general of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...

: Multiple categories; see

2012 Governor General's Awards The shortlisted nominees for the 2012 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were announced on October 11, and the winners were announced on November 13. English French References External linksGovernor General's Awards {{GovernorGener ...

. *

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction The Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to the best work of non-fiction by a Canadian writer. Canada's most lucrative non-fiction prize, the winner re ...

Candace Savage Candace Sherk Savage (born December 2, 1949) is a Canadian non-fiction writer. Early life Candace Sherk was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada on December 2, 1949. Both of her grandmothers were born in the United States and married Canadia ...

, ''A Geography of Blood: Unearthing Memory from a Prairie Landscape'' *

International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...

Jon McGregor Jon McGregor (born 1976) is a British novelist and short story writer. In 2002, his debut novel, first novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize, making him then the youngest-ever contender. His second and fourth novels were longlisted for the ...

, '' Even the Dogs'' *

International Prize for Arabic Fiction The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) (), also known as "the Arabic Booker", is regarded as the most prestigious and important literary prize in the Arab world. Its aim is to reward excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing ...

Rabee Jaber Rabee Jaber (; born 1972, Beirut) is a Lebanon, Lebanese novelist and journalist. Life Jaber studied Physics at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He is also editor of ''Afaaq'' (in Arabic language, Arabic آفاق meaning ''Horizons'' in ...

, ''The Druze of Belgrade'' *

Lambda Literary Awards Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary Foundation, Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ+ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ+ literatur ...

: Multiple categories; see 2012 Lambda Literary Awards. *

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...

: ''

Bring Up the Bodies ''Bring Up the Bodies'' is an historical novel by Hilary Mantel, sequel to the award-winning ''Wolf Hall'' (2009), and part of a trilogy charting the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, the powerful minister in the court of King Henry VIII. It won ...

'' by

Hilary Mantel Dame Hilary Mary Mantel ( ; born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, ''Every Day Is Mother's Day'', was releas ...

Miles Franklin Award The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the Will (law), will of Miles Franklin ...

Anna Funder Anna Funder (born 1966) is an Australian author. She is the author of ''Stasiland'', ''All That I Am (novel), All That I Am'', ''Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life'' and the novella ''The Girl With the Dogs.'' Anna’s book ''Wifedom'' w ...

, '' All That I Am''. *

National Biography Award The National Biography Award, established in Australia in 1996, is awarded for the best published work of biographical or autobiographical writing by an Australian. It aims "to encourage the highest standards of writing biography and autobiography ...

: ''The Many Worlds of R. H. Mathews: In Search of an Australian Anthropologist'' *

National Book Award for Fiction The National Book Award for Fiction is one of five annual National Book Awards, which recognize outstanding literary work by United States citizens. Since 1987, the awards have been administered and presented by the National Book Foundation, bu ...

: to '' The Round House'' by

Louise Erdrich Karen Louise Erdrich ( ; born June 7, 1954) is an American author of novels, poetry, and children's books featuring Native American characters and settings. She is an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dako ...

National Book Critics Circle Award The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk ''Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'' is a satirical war novel written by Ben Fountain, which was published in early May 2012 by Ecco Press, a publishing imprint of HarperCollins. The novel chronicles the experience of a group of Iraq War vetera ...

'' by Ben Fountain *

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

Mo Yan Guan Moye (; born 5 March 1955), better known by the pen name Mo Yan (, ), is a Chinese novelist and short story writer. In 2012, Mo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work as a writer "who with hallucinatory realism merges fol ...

Orange Prize for Fiction The Women's Prize for Fiction (previously with sponsor names Orange Prize for Fiction (1996–2006 and 2009–2012), Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction (2007–08) and Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction (2014–2017) is one of the United Kingdom's ...

: to ''

The Song of Achilles ''The Song of Achilles'' is a 2011 novel by American writer Madeline Miller. Set during the Greek Heroic Age, it is a retelling of the Trojan War as told from the perspective of Patroclus. The novel follows Patroclus' relationship with Achilles ...

'' by

Madeline Miller Madeline Miller (born July 24, 1978) is an American novelist, author of '' The Song of Achilles'' (2011) and ''Circe'' (2018). Miller spent ten years writing ''The Song of Achilles'' while she worked as a teacher of Latin and Greek. The novel tel ...

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction The 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 Americans, Green Card holders or permanent residents. The winner receives US$15,000 and each of ...

: to '' The Buddha in the Attic'' by

Julie Otsuka Julie Otsuka (born May 15, 1962) is a Japanese-American author. She is known for drawing from her personal life to write autoethnographical historical novels about the life of Japanese Americans. In 2002 she published her first novel, ''When the ...

Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry The King's Gold Medal for Poetry (known as Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry when the monarch is female) is awarded for a book of verse published by someone in any of the Commonwealth realms. Originally the award was open only to British subjects liv ...

John Agard John Agard FRSL (born 21 June 1949) is a Guyanese-born British playwright, poet and children's writer. In 2012, he was selected for the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry.

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize The Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, formerly known as the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, is a Canadian literary award presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada after an annual juried competition of works submitted by publishers ...

Tamas Dobozy Tamas Dobozy is a Canadian writer and professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. Early life Dobozy was born in the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Between the ages of 3 and 18 he lived in Powell River, British Columbia, and subsequentl ...

, ''Siege 13'' * SAARC Literary Award: Fakrul Alam, Ayesha Zee Khan *

Scotiabank Giller Prize The Giller Prize (known as the Scotiabank Giller Prize from 2005-2023) is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried c ...

Will Ferguson William Stener Ferguson (born October 12, 1964) is a Canadian travel writer and novelist who won the Scotiabank Giller Prize for his novel '' 419'' (2012). Biography Ferguson was born fourth of six children in the former fur trading post of ...

, ''

419 Year 419 ( CDXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Monaxius and Plinta (or, less frequently, year 1172 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 419 for th ...

'' *

Whiting Awards The Whiting Award is an American award presented annually to ten emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, ...

: Fiction:

Alan Heathcock Alan Heathcock (born March 8, 1971) is an American fiction writer. He is the author of the acclaimed short story collection ''VOLT'' (2011) and the dystopian novel ''40'' (2022). Early life, education, and career Heathcock grew up in the Chic ...

Anthony Marra Anthony Marra (born 1984) is an American fiction writer. Marra has won numerous awards for his short stories, as well as his first novel, '' A Constellation of Vital Phenomena,'' which was a ''New York Times'' best seller. Personal life Marra ...

, Hanna Pylväinen; Nonfiction: Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts; Plays:

Danai Gurira Danai Jekesai Gurira (; born February 14, 1978) is a Zimbabwean-American actress, playwright, and activist. She is known for her starring roles as Michonne in the AMC horror drama franchise '' The Walking Dead'' and Okoye in Marvel Cinematic U ...

Samuel D. Hunter Samuel D. Hunter (born 1981) is an American playwright living in New York City. Hunter was born in Pullman, Washington and raised in Moscow, Idaho. He is best known for plays ''A Bright New Boise'', which won the 2011 Obie Award for playwriting, ...

, Mona Mansour, Meg Miroshnik; Poetry: Ciaran Berry,

Atsuro Riley Atsuro Riley is an American writer. Riley is the author of the poetry collections ''Heard-Hoard'' (University of Chicago Press, 2021) and ''Romey's Order'' (University of Chicago Press, 2010). In 2023, Riley was named a Guggenheim Foundation Fe ...

Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award The Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award is a Canadian literary award, presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada to an established Canadian author to honour their body of work. Presented for the first time in 2008 under the name Notable Author Awar ...

Nino Ricci Nino Pio Ricci (born 1959) is a Canadian novelist who lives in Toronto, Ontario.Nino Ricci's
...

Notes

References

External links

Literary events in 2012
at ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''
Books to watch out for in autumn 2012
at ''

'' {{Year in literature article categories 2012-related lists

Events

New books

Fiction (literary)

Children and young people

Drama

Poetry

Science fiction and fantasy

Crime, horror etc.

Non-fiction

Deaths

Awards

See also

Notes

References

External links