Deaths are inevitable! Whether it be our close ones, strangers, celebrities, or authors, we always feel pain in our hearts when we hear the news of death.
In 2023, we saw or heard about many people who died due to various reasons, including our notable literary authors and writers.
Hi! I am Priyanka from Hooked to Books, and I’ve dedicated this article to all those literary geniuses who delivered impactful works to us and passed away.
We get disheartened when our favorite authors or well-known writers die, and only their works are left in remembrance. In this post, I have listed 30 famous writers and authors who passed away in 2023.
Let’s reminisce about the well-known literary people!
30 Writers and Authors Who Died in 2023
Have a look at the list of 30 writers and authors who died in 2023 and learn about their best-known works.
1. Cormac McCarthy
Genre: Southern Gothic, Western, and post-apocalyptic genres
Cormac McCarthy was born on July 20, 1933, and died on June 13, 2023. He was an American author, and some of his famous works are All the Pretty Horses, Blood Meridian, and The Road.
2. A.S. Byatt
Genre: Literature, Fiction, Non-Fiction
A.S. Byatt was born on 24 August 1936 and died on 16 November 2023. She was an English novelist, poet, and short story writer, and some of her well-known works are Possession, The Children’s Book, Still Life, etc.
3. Gabrielle Carey
Genre: fiction, autobiographies and essays
The Australian writer Gabrielle Carey was born on January 10, 1959, and died on May 2023. Her famous works include Puberty Blues, Only Happiness Here, Moving Among Strangers, etc.
4. John Jakes
Genre: Historical and Speculative fiction
John William Jakes was an American writer born on March 31, 1932, and died on March 11, 2023. He is best known for historical and speculative fiction. His famous works include The Kent Family Chronicles, North and South, and more.
5. John Nichols
Genre: Fiction and Nonfiction
John Treadwell Nichols was born in 1940 and died on November 27, 2023. The American novelist’s famous works include The Milagro Beanfield War, The Magic Journey, and The Nirvana Blues.
6. Echo Brown
Genre: Autobiographical Young Adult Fiction
Echo Brown was born in 1984 and died in 2023. She was an American author and playwright who wrote Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard.
7. Eve Bunting
Genre: Young adult fiction, Science fiction, Historical fiction, Children’s non-fiction
The Northern Irish-born American writer, Eve Bunting, was born in 1928 and died on October 1, 2023. She mostly wrote children’s and young adult books, and her popular works include Flower Garden, Smoky Night, Night Tree, etc.
8. Mary Ann Hoberman
Genre: Children’s Author
Mary Ann Hoberman was an American author who wrote more than 30 children’s books. She was born on August 12, 1930, and died on July 7, 2023. Her famous works are A House is a House for Me, You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You, and more.
9. David Ferry
Genre: Poetry
David Ferry was a famous American poet and translator, born on March 5, 1924, and died on November 5, 2023. His well-known books of poetry and translation are Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations, The Georgics of Virgil, etc.
10. Herbert Gold
Genre: Fiction, Essays, Journalism, Memoir, Poetry.
Herbert Gold was born in 1924 and died on November 19, 2023. The American novelist’s known works include Fathers, Bohemia: Where Art, Angst, Love, and Strong Coffee Meet, Best Nightmare on Earth, etc.
11. Suzy McKee Charnas
Genre: Science fiction, fantasy, and horror
The American Novelist and short story writer Suzy McKee Charnas was born in 1939 and died on January 2, 2023. Her works include The Vampire Tapestry, Dorothea Dreams, The Holdfast Chronicles, The Kingdom of Kevin Malone, etc.
12. Fay Weldon
Genre: Contemporary Women, Literature & Fiction
She was an English author, essayist, and playwright, and her novels include Puffball, The Life and Loves of a She Devil, The President’s Child, and more. Fay Weldon was born in 1931 and died on January 4, 2023.
13. Russell Banks
Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Short stories, and Poetry
He was an American writer of fiction and poetry. He was born in 1940 and died on January 7, 2023. Russell Earl Banks’ few works include The Sweet Hereafter, Rule of the Born, Continental Drift, and more.
14. Naomi Replansky
Genre: Poetry
She is an American poet and translator. Naomi was born in 1918 and died on January 7, 2023. Her famous work includes Ring Song.
15. Charles Simic
Genre: Nonfiction, Poetry and Prose poems
Charles Simic was an American poet born in 1938 and died on January 9, 2023. His famous works include The World Doesn’t End and Hotel Insomnia.
16. Ronald Blythe
Genre: Novels, Short stories, Poetry, Literary Criticism and Social History
Ronald George Blythe, a British writer and essayist, was born in 1922 and died on January 14, 2023. He is best known for his works, such as Akenfield and Word from Wormingford.
17. Jonathan Raban
Genre: Travel writing journalism fiction
He was a British travel writer, playwright, and novelist. Jonathan was born in June 1942 and died on 17 January 2023. A few of his works include Soft City, Foreign Land, Coasting, Waxwings, and more.
18. Paul La Farge
Genre: Fiction, Satire
Paul Bayard La Farge was born in 1970 and died in January 2023. He was a novelist and essayist who wrote The Night Ocean, The Artist of the Missing, The Facts of Winter, etc.
19. Ted Bell
Genre: Suspense novels
Theodore Augustus Bell III, or Ted Bell, is an American author. Born in July 1946 and died on January 20, 2023, he wrote suspense novels such as Hawke, Assassin, Pirate, Spy, and more.
20. Amy Schwartz
Genre: Children’s books
American author and illustrator of children’s books Amy Schwartz was born in April 1954 and died on February 26, 2023. Her famous works include 100 Things That Make Me Happy, What James Likes Best, Bea and Mr. Jones, etc.
21. Royston Ellis
Genre: Romance/Historical, Poetry, travel books
Christopher Royston George Ellis, or Royston Ellis, is an English novelist, poet, and travel writer. He was born in 1941 and died on February 27, 2023. His works include A Hero in Time, Maldives, Sweet Ebony, etc.
22. Kenzaburo Oe
Genre: Literature, Fiction
Famous Japanese writer and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature, Kenzaburō Ōe was born in 1935 and died on March 3, 2023. His famous works include Hiroshima Notes, A Personal Matter, The Silent Cry, and more.
23. Ian Falconer
Genre: Children’s books
The American author and illustrator Ian Woodward Falconer was born in August 1959 and died on March 7, 2023. A few of his works include Olivia, Olivia Saves the Circus, Olivia the Spy, etc.
24. Patrick French
Genre: History, Biography
The British writer Patrick Rollo Basil French was born in May 1966 and died on March 16, 2023. Some of his works are Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer, The World Is What It Is, Tibet Tibet, and more.
25. Dubravka Ugresic
Genre: Contemporary, Absurdist fiction
She was a Yugoslav-Croatian and Dutch writer born in March 1949 and died on March 17, 2023. Her famous works are The Museum of Unconditional Surrender, Karaoke Culture, etc.
26. Julie Anne Peters
Genre: Young adult fiction
American author of young adult fiction, Julie Anne Peters, was born in January 1952 and died on March 21, 2023. Her famous works include She Loves You, She Loves You Not, Keeping You a Secret, etc.
27. D.M. Thomas
Genre: Fiction, Poetry, Biographies & Memoirs, Fantasy and Psychological insight
Donald Michael Thomas was born in January 1935 and died on March 26, 2023. He was a British poet, novelist, translator, and playwright. His works include The White Hotel, Eating Pavlova, Ararat, and more.
28. Rachel Pollack
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality
Rachel Grace Pollack was an American science fiction and comic book writer. She was born in August 1945 and died on April 7, 2023. Some of her books are Unquenchable Fire, Godmother Night, and The Beatrix Gates.
29. Anne Perry
Genre: Crime fiction, Young-adult
The British writer Anne Perry was born in October 1938 and died on April 10, 2023. She is best known for her Thomas and Charlotte Pit and William Monk series books.
30. Ama Ata Aidoo
Genre: Literature & Fiction, Children’s Books, Poetry, Drama fiction
Ama Ata Aidoo was born in March 1942 and died on May 31, 2023. She is a Ghanaian author, playwright, and poet, and some of her famous works are The Dilemma of a Ghost, Our Sister Killjoy, No Sweetness Here, etc.
Wind-Up
When well-known literary authors die, we are only left with their notable works as remembrance. I hope this article reminded you of the authors and writers who left us recently and will always cherish their works. Many will remain in my memory for a long time.
Who was your favorite author from the list? Tell me in the comments below!