Literature

Edith Grossman (1936–2023), Gabriel García Márquez's translator 

Edith Grossman was a literary translator best known for her work with the novels of great Spanish-language authors.

Priscilla Tolkien (1929–2022), daughter of J.R.R. Tolkien

Priscilla Tolkien, the youngest child of The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien, was Vice President of The Tolkien Society .

Richard Robinson (1937–2021), CEO of children’s book publishing company Scholastic

Richard Robinson was the CEO of the children’s book publishing company Scholastic for decades, where he introduced book series including Harry Potter and the Hunger Games to the U.S.

Eric Carle (1929–2021), “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” author

Eric Carle was an author and illustrator of children’s books, including “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?”

Sam McBratney (1943–2020), children’s author of “Guess How Much I Love You”

Sam McBratney was an Irish author of books for children and adults, best known for the children’s bestseller “Guess How Much I Love You.”

Christopher Tolkien (1924–2020), J.R.R. Tolkien's son who edited his Middle-Earth legends

Christopher Tolkien was the youngest son of “Lord of the Rings” author J.R.R. Tolkien, who edited and published his father’s work in the years after his death. He has died, the Tolkien Society announced Thursday.

In ‘A Wrinkle in Time,' She Found a Heroine to Inspire Her

A look back 10 years after Madeleine L’Engle’s death

Remembering the Battlefield Poets of World War I (video)

A video tribute to the soldiers who told us what combat really looked like.

Beyond J.R.R. Tolkien (video)

A video tribute to fantasy authors.

Derek Walcott (1930 - 2017), Nobel-winning poet

Derek Walcott, a native of St. Lucia who won a Nobel prize for poetry about the Caribbean, died on Friday, March 17, 2017, following a period of ill health. He was 87.

Dario Fo (1926 - 2016), Nobel Prize-winning playwright

The Italian playwright's biting political satire was recognized with 1997’s Nobel Prize for literature.

Read to Your Children (In Memory of Anna Dewdney)

When Anna Dewdney died last weekend, her obituary in Publisher's Weekly included one unusual specification: "She requested that in lieu of a funeral service that people read to a child instead."

Anna Dewdney (1965–2016), Llama Llama children's author

Anna Dewdney, a best-selling children's author known for her "Llama Llama" stories, has died at the age of 50.

40 Facts About Agatha Christie

Mystery writer Agatha Christie died 40 years ago this week. Here are some facts you may not know about the best-selling novelist of all time.

Being Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison wrote one of the great American novels and then struggled to produce another for the rest of life. Here’s how it happened.

Charles Dickens: 8 Great Characters

Charles Dickens wrote characters we love... and some we love to hate. In celebration of Dickens, we present eight of his greatest.