Considered one of the major authors of the 20th century, Franz Kafka was a Bohemian short-story writer and novelist. Her young adult dystopian coming-of-age fantasy series the Divergent trilogy is her most famous work, and she wrote the first book on winter break while attending Northwestern University. Science-fiction author Kurt Vonnegut is best remembered for the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, which became a New York Times bestseller. 19th and 20th Century Italian Literature 19th and 20th Century Italian Literature. One of the most captivating literary figures of 20th century Japan, Osamu Dazai is known as a prominent writer within the Japanese I-novel genre of autofiction. Mr. Peretti is a "Christian fiction" author who has accumulated over 15 million copies sold worldwide. 2023/2024 9. Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist and short-story writer whohad a strong impact on 20th-century fiction. Winner of the National Book Award for his 2001 novel, "The Corrections," and a frequent contributor of essays to The New Yorker, Jonathan Franzen's works includea 2002 bookof essays titled "How to Be Alone," a 2006 memoir, "The Discomfort Zone," and the acclaimed "Freedom" (2010). The first half of the twentieth century is an extremely rich period for American letters. A recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Mailer is regarded as an innovator of New Journalism. Copyright 2023 | Become a Writer Today. Tolkien was born in South Africa but emigrated to Britain at a relatively young age. Her iconic novel, (American Poet and Critic Known for His Works: Ripostes, Hugh Selwyn Mauberley and the Epic Poem, The Cantos), American poet Ezra Pound was a significant figure in the modernist poetry movement who developed imagism and gained fame with works such as, (American Novelist Best Known as the 'Dean of Science Fiction Writers'), (One of the Most Awarded American Writers of His Generation), (Writer and Philosopher Known for Her Best-Selling Novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged), (British Author Who is Regarded as a Key Transitional Figure Between Literary Realism and Literary Modernism), (Science Fiction Author Best Known for His 1965 Novel 'Dune' & Its Sequels), (Molecular Biologist Who Co-discovered the Double Helix Structure of DNA With Francis Crick), (American Playwright and Winner of the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature), (One of the Greatest Authors of 20th Century), (One of the Most Prolific Filmmakers of the Modern Era Who Was Known for His Psychological Dramas), (Author of 'The Naked and the Dead', 'Armies of the Night' and 'The Executioner's Song'), (Self-Help Writer, Motivational Guru, Public Speaker), Writer and academic Dale Carnegie is best remembered for his work on courses in areas such as corporate training, self-improvement, and salesmanship. This book was written based on Hemingways experiences serving in the First World War. It has been suggested that this article should be, Last edited on 12 February 2023, at 23:14, List of writers from peoples indigenous to the Americas, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_20th-century_writers&oldid=1139018809, This page was last edited on 12 February 2023, at 23:14. One of America's public literary figures, Robert Frost received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960. This is a work in progress. Among the most well-regarded authors in contemporary Indian literature, Ghosh has published various acclaimed works of fiction and non-fiction. But British literature goes far beyond the country manors and moody moors of the nineteenth century. Ayn Rand was a Russian-American philosopher and writer. After experiencing a profound moral crisis in the 1870s, Tolstoy went through a phase of spiritual awakening, which had a great impact on his subsequent works that incorporated ideas on nonviolent resistance. Many people are familiar with the famous fantasy and science fiction works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Via critical analysis of writers and filmmakers whose projects have changed our ways of viewing the modern world-including Hannah Arendt, Franz Kafka, Walter Benjamin, the directors of Germany in Autumn, and Heiner Mueller-these essays . Virginia Woolf's best-known work is her 1929 essay "A Room of One's Own." . White Teeth by Zadie Smith. His enormous imprint on contemporary modernism, as with Sillitoe, lies as much in his writing as it does in the 20th century's great artistic achievement - film. Comparatively, Robert McCurdys 2006 painting of the Beloved author (on view in the museums 20th-Century Americans: 2000 to Present gallery) depicts an unsmiling woman with her hands tucked into the pockets of a gray sweater. The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and has become one of the most popular novels in American literature. A Puerto Rican Literature. Find out more about the greatest 20th Century American Writers, including William Gibson, Quentin Tarantino, Sylvia Browne, Christopher Lloyd and Stephen King, Vote for Your Favourite 20th Century American Writers, (Primary Creative Leader of Marvel Comics and Characters such as 'Spider-Man', 'X-Men' and 'Iron Man'), (American Literary Icon Who Was Known for His Straightforward Prose & Use of Understatement), (Lauded as the 'Greatest Humorist' the United States Has Produced), (American Poet and Civil Rights Activist Known for Her Autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings). H. G. Wells was an English writer. A photo of the author stands on the table next to a lamp and a stack of papers; a poster advertising the Sidney Poitier-led Broadway production is visible above a neighboring bookshelf. . The ACTUAL 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century I took exception with the Modern Library List as there are: 1) multiple entries for the same author, 2) only works written in English, and 3) glaring omissions. Wallace continues to serve as an inspiration to writers like Darin Strauss and George Saunders. Look at a few of the top names below. . His stories focused on his interpretation of humanity's place in the universe. Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, also known as Gabo, is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the magic realism literary style. The searingly painful novel offers a very personal window into the horrors of the enslavement of people and its aftermath. The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden Assembly by Natasha Brown Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman Swing Time by Zadie Smith Novels by Black Women (US) The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris Luster by Raven Leilani Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Another iconic writer of the early 20th century was Charles Eastman, considered the first to write American history from the Native American point of view. He also wrote short stories and novels meant for adults. Joyce's work has influenced several scholars and writers, such as Jorge Luis Borges, Salman Rushdie, Sen Rordin, Flann O'Brien, John Updike, and Cormac McCarthy. Even thoughErnest Hemingway has numerous great titles to his name,one book at the top of the list is titled A Farewell to Arms. Regardless of whether you like short stories, works of nonfiction, or critical essays, there are a few fantastic authors that you need to consider. Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman stated that one of Asimov's works inspired him to take up Economics. Experimentation. From there, she earned a masters degree at Cornell University. . John Braine. Many of his works have been adapted into films. space, and belonging. Born to Chinese immigrants in 1940, she grew up on folklore and family histories, always cognizant of her status as an unwitting outsider caught between the worlds of Chinese and American culture. Sylvia Plath was an American short-story writer, novelist, and poet. Whatever I list here will only scratch the surface. Smith, then a 23-year-old prodigy, wowed the literary world with her first novel, which introduced a writer of inimitable wit and scope. After writing this book, he eventually met the love of his life, moving with her to Paris in 1924. The Great Depression, the rise of . Eliot amongst many others. Beyond the Horizon (first performed 1920), Anna Christie (1921), Desire Under the Elms (1924), and The Iceman Cometh (1946) were naturalistic works, while The Emperor Jones (1920) and The Hairy Ape (1922) made use of the Expressionistic techniques developed in German drama in the period 1914-24. While these famous Spanish authors wrote their names into history in the 20th century, up-and-coming writers continue to create modern new works. Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's associate digital editor, history. Philip K. Dick was an American writer who wasknown for his work that explores varied social and philosophical themes. Ben Yehuda 311. His work often touches on social criticism and family troubles. Now check your email to claim your prompts. Plath is credited with popularizing confessional poetry and won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. The 20th century was like no time period before it. But am I prepared to give my body to the struggle or even my comforts?, She concluded, Comfort has come to be its own corruption.. His novels include The Circle of Reason (1986), The Shadow Lines (1988), The Calcutta Chromosome (1995), The Glass Palace (2000), The Hungry Tide (2004), and Sea of Poppies (2008). Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852) After the American Civil War, when the author John William De Forest set out to find a novel that would help reunite the nation, while placing it at the centre of world literature, he could find only one book that came close. The Canterbury Tales also provides a glimpse into the customs and practices within the society at the time of its writing. These changes took distinct shape in the literature of the 20th century. The book focused on a revolutionary idea that women deserve to have money, happiness, and property, all found in a room of their own. Yeats James Joyce Virginia Woolf W.H. Sylvia Plath was an American short-story writer, novelist, and poet. Interestingly, unlike films that have a lot more to them than just the story or script, in books, if you falter at your writing, you shall falter completely, for a reader can put down a book, at any point and any time. The first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, Tagore is also credited with composing the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. http://www.flickr.com/photos/joseph_beuys_hat/page25/ Virginia Woolf is one of the most popular female writers of all time. 20th Century Literature Women's roles in literature has evolved throughout history and had lead women to develop into strong independent roles. Poet, author, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou was a champion for black feminism and is best remembered for her autobiography, (American Weird-Fiction Writer Known for Creating the Mythopoeia 'Cthulhu Mythos'), (Best Known for His Novel 'The Great Gatsby'), (Known for His Classic Series 'The Chronicles of Narnia'), (One of the Most Important Modernist 20th-Century Authors), (Famous for Her Books 'The Bell Jar' and 'Ariel'), (One of the Greatest Authors of All Time), (Author of Epic Fantasy Novels 'A Song of Ice and Fire'). Although he was prolific in many genres, he is best remembered for his work on sci-fi novels, for which he is often referred to as the father of science fiction. Born a Jew, he became an atheist later on. And science fiction works of fiction and non-fiction very personal window into the customs and practices within the at! ; author who has accumulated over 15 million copies sold worldwide mr. Peretti is a & ;! 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