Authors

Authors List

Browse our collection of authors

Giovanni Boccaccio

Giovanni Boccaccio

IT

1313-06-16 – 1375-09-21

Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian writer, poet, and humanist. He is best known for "The Decameron", a collection of one hundred tales depicting the life and customs of 14th-century Italy. His work had a significant influence on the development of narrative prose in Western literature.

68
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

DE

1729-01-22 – 1781-02-15

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was a prominent German writer, philosopher, and theater critic of the Enlightenment. His work is fundamental to the development of German drama and literary criticism. Lessing advocated for reason and religious tolerance, influencing generations of thinkers.

188
Giordano Bruno

Giordano Bruno

IT

1548-01-01 – 1600-02-17

Giordano Bruno was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, poet, and cosmologist. He is best known for his cosmological theories which included an infinite universe with multiple suns and planets, and for his advocacy of the transmigration of souls. His ideas, which went against the Catholic doctrine of the time, led to a long trial by the Roman Inquisition.

214
Giacomo Casanova

Giacomo Casanova

IT

1725-04-02 – 1798-06-04

Giacomo Girolamo Casanova was a Venetian adventurer and writer. Famous for his numerous love adventures, he also had a multifaceted life, engaging in various professions and activities, including diplomacy, espionage, and even the priesthood. His autobiography, "The Story of My Life," is a detailed and vivid account of his experiences and of European society in the 18th century.

65
Gertrude Stein

Gertrude Stein

US

1874-02-03 – 1946-07-27

Gertrude Stein was an American modernist writer, known for her experimental prose and her influence on the development of 20th-century literature. Her work challenged narrative and stylistic conventions, exploring language in new ways. She was also an important figure in the Parisian artistic and intellectual scene, collecting artworks and promoting young artists and writers.

2,953
Georges Duhamel

Georges Duhamel

FR

1884-06-30 – 1966-04-13

Georges Duhamel was a French novelist, poet, and surgeon. He is best known for his novel series "Chronique des Pasquier", which chronicles the life of a Parisian family over several decades. His work often addresses themes such as family, society, and the consequences of war.

121
George Meredith

George Meredith

GB

1828-02-12 – 1909-05-18

George Meredith was an English novelist and poet. He is known for his complex and psychologically insightful novels, often exploring themes of love, marriage, and the position of women in Victorian society.

188
George Santayana

George Santayana

ES

1863-12-16 – 1952-09-26

George Santayana was a Spanish-American philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist. His works cover a wide range of topics, including aesthetics, ethics, epistemology, and political philosophy. Santayana is known for his elegant prose and his philosophical skepticism, which led him to question many traditional beliefs.

5,203
Gaston Bachelard

Gaston Bachelard

FR

1884-06-27 – 1962-10-16

Gaston Bachelard (27 June 1884 – 16 October 1962) was a French philosopher. He was known for his work in the philosophy of science and the philosophy of poetry, and for his analyses of the imagination and the "poetic rêverie" of the elements.

1,312
George Herbert

George Herbert

GB

1593-04-03 – 1633-03-01

George Herbert was a Welsh-born metaphysical poet, priest, and rhetorician. His poetry, characterized by its intricate structure, devotional intensity, and witty exploration of faith, is highly regarded within English literature. Herbert's work often reflects his personal spiritual journey and his role as a clergyman, offering profound insights into the relationship between the divine and the human.

11,853
Fiódor Dostoiévski

Fiódor Dostoiévski

RU

1821-11-11 – 1881-01-28

Fyodor Dostoevsky was one of the greatest Russian novelists and existential thinkers. His work is known for its psychological depth and exploration of the human condition, addressing themes such as faith, doubt, morality, and suffering. Dostoevsky went through dramatic experiences, including a simulated death sentence and years of exile in Siberia. These trials shaped his worldview and permeated his most famous novels, such as "Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov".

153
François Fénelon

François Fénelon

FR

1651-08-06 – 1715-01-07

François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon, known as Fénelon, was a French theologian, poet, and writer. He served as tutor to the Dauphin of France, grandson of Louis XIV, and was later appointed Archbishop of Cambrai. He is remembered for his work "The Adventures of Telemachus", an educational novel that became a European bestseller.

1,265
Francis Picabia

Francis Picabia

FR

1879-01-22 – 1953-11-30

Francis Picabia was a French painter, sculptor, and poet, a central figure in the early 20th-century artistic avant-garde movements, such as Cubism, Dadaism, and Surrealism. His work is known for its constant experimentation and exploration of different styles and techniques.

7,615
Eurípides

Eurípides

GR

480ac – 406ac

Euripides (c. 480 – 406 BCE) was one of the three great tragedians of Ancient Greece, along with Aeschylus and Sophocles. He wrote around 92 plays, of which only 18 have survived in their entirety. His tragedies are known for their psychological realism, the introduction of more complex characters, and the exploration of social and philosophical themes, often questioning the conventions and morality of his time. Euripides is frequently praised for his theatrical innovation, for the introduction of explanatory prologues, and for the use of the chorus in more varied ways. His works continue to be studied and performed to this day, influencing Western theater.

109
Erica Jong

Erica Jong

US

1942-03-26

Erica Mann Jong is an American writer and novelist, known for her novels that explore female sexuality, independence, and the complexities of relationships. Her most famous work, "Fear of Flying", published in 1973, caused controversy and commercial success by depicting a woman's sexual life with unusual frankness for the time. Jong is an important figure in feminist literature.

2,259
Eugène Ionesco

Eugène Ionesco

RO

1909-11-26 – 1994-03-28

Eugène Ionesco was a Romanian-French playwright, one of the main representatives of the Theatre of the Absurd. His work is characterized by illogicality, the breakdown of language, and the exploration of the emptiness of human existence, reflecting the anguish and absurdity of the modern world. Plays such as "The Bald Soprano" and "Rhinoceros" are milestones of 20th-century theatre.

1,428
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

US

1850-11-05 – 1919-10-30

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American poet and author known for her inspirational and often sentimental verse. Her poetry resonated widely with the public for its accessible style and optimistic themes, which frequently touched on love, nature, and positive thinking. Wilcox achieved significant popularity during her lifetime, with her works being widely published and embraced by readers seeking comfort and encouragement. She became a prominent voice, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, for her ability to distill complex emotions and life philosophies into memorable, quotable lines that continue to be recognized.

108,805
Edward Young

Edward Young

GB

1683-07-03 – 1765-04-05

Edward Young was an English poet and critic. He is best known for his long poem 'Night-Thoughts,' a work of the graveyard school of poetry. Young held various positions, including fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and rector of Welwyn.

1,862
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

GB

1803-05-25 – 1873-01-18

Edward George Earle Lytton Lytton Bulwer, 1st Baron Lytton, was a prolific English writer, poet, and politician. Author of highly successful historical and social novels, his works often explored themes of mystery, romance, and adventure. He was also a noted playwright and a politician who served in the House of Commons.

2,717
Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton

US

1862-01-24 – 1937-08-11

Edith Wharton was an American novelist and short story writer, known for her penetrating depictions of American high society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her works often explore themes of social class, morality, and the constraints placed upon women. She is considered one of the most important writers in American literature.

2,037
Edgar Quinet

Edgar Quinet

FR

1803-02-17 – 1875-03-27

Edgar Quinet was a French historian and writer, known for his work on French history and for advocating republican and secular ideals. His works frequently addressed the French Revolution and the religious history of Europe. He was an important figure in the intellectual and political scene of 19th-century France.

1,139
Edgar Lee Masters

Edgar Lee Masters

US

1868-08-23 – 1950-03-05

Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, lawyer, and playwright. He is best known for his work "Spoon River Anthology", a collection of poems depicting the lives and stories of the inhabitants of a fictional town. The work is notable for its free verse style and its frank exploration of human nature.

103
Dante Alighieri

Dante Alighieri

IT

1265-05-30 – 1321-09-13

Dante Alighieri was a Florentine poet of the Middle Ages, widely considered the greatest poet of the Italian language and the most important writer of the Western Middle Ages. His epic poem, the Divine Comedy, is regarded as one of the greatest works of world literature and has had a profound impact on religious, political, and literary thought. Dante's work is characterized by its theological depth, intricate symbolism, and vivid depictions of the afterlife. His synthesis of medieval Christian theology, classical philosophy, and contemporary politics solidified his place as a central figure in literary and intellectual history, shaping the development of Italian language and literature.

8,531
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

DE

1906-02-04 – 1945-04-09

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian, pastor, and anti-Nazi activist. He became a prominent figure in the Confessing Church, a resistance movement against Nazi influence on the German Protestant church. Bonhoeffer is remembered for his theology of the Christian life and his active opposition to Hitler's regime.

916