2002 in literature

Last updated November 02, 2025

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2002.

Events

March 16 – Authorities in Saudi Arabia arrest and jail the poet Abdul Mohsen Musalam and dismiss a newspaper editor following the publication of Musalam's poem "The Corrupt on Earth", which criticizes the state's Islamic judiciary, accusing some judges of being corrupt and issuing unfair rulings for personal benefit.
March 31 – American Writers: A Journey Through History resumes its run on C-SPAN, having been interrupted by the September 11 attacks and their aftermath.^[1]
May – The results of a poll of 100 authors conducted in Norway are announced, leading to the Bokklubben World Library beginning publication.^[2]
October 16 – Bibliotheca Alexandrina (designed by Snøhetta) is inaugurated in Alexandria, Egypt.
November – Raymond Benson releases his final James Bond novel, based on the film Die Another Day , bringing to a close an uninterrupted series of novels featuring Ian Fleming's character that started in 1981.
Randell Cottage Writers' Residency established in Wellington for New Zealand and French authors.

New books

Poetry

Neil Astley (ed.) – Staying Alive: real poems for unreal times (anthology)
Jim Dodge – Rain on the River
Linton Kwesi Johnson – Mi Revalueshanary Fren
Grazyna Miller – Alibi of a butterfly

Non-fiction

Peter Ackroyd – Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination
Andrew Alpern – The New York Apartment Houses of Rosario Candela and James Carpenter
Jeffrey Archer (as FF 8282) – A Prison Diary: Volume 1: Belmarsh: Hell
T. J. Binyon – Pushkin: A Biography
John Brockman (editor) – The Next Fifty Years: Science in the First Half of the Twenty-First Century
Howard Cannon and Brian Tarcy – The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting Your Own Restaurant
Stuart Christie – Granny Made me an Anarchist
Alphonse Daudet (died 1897), translated by Julian Barnes – In the Land of Pain (first English translation of La Doulou)
Gerina Dunwich – A Witch's Guide to Ghosts and the Supernatural
Lindy Edwards – How to Argue with an Economist: Reopening Political Debate in Australia
Koenraad Elst – Ayodhya – The Case Against the Temple
Tye R. Farrell and Jeffrey Morrow – University of Psychogenic Fugue
Aminatta Forna – The Devil That Danced on the Water: A Daughter's Quest
Pim Fortuyn – De puinhopen van acht jaar Paars
Michael J. Fox – Lucky Man: A Memoir
Stephen J. Gould – I Have Landed
Peter Jennings – In Search of America
B. B. Lal – The Sarasvatī Flows On: The Continuity of Indian Culture
Judith Levine – Harmful to Minors
Gabriel García Márquez – Vivir para contarla (autobiography)
Anthea Paul – Girlosophy
Jeremy Paxman – The Political Animal
Neil Peart – Ghost Rider
Åsne Seierstad – The Bookseller of Kabul
Arun Shourie – Worshipping False Gods
Rachel Simon – Riding the Bus with My Sister
Bob Smith – Hamlet's Dresser
Daniel Snowman – The Hitler Émigrés: The Cultural Impact on Britain of Refugees from Nazism
David Southwell – Dirty Cash
James B. Stewart – Heart of a Soldier
Paul Theroux – Dark Star Safari
Rick Warren – The Purpose Driven Life
Alison Watt – The Last Island ^[8]

Films

Deaths

January 12 – Lady Violet Powell, British critic and biographer (born 1912)
January 17 – Camilo José Cela, Nobel-winningSpanish writer (born 1916)^[9]
January 28 – Astrid Lindgren, Swedish children's author (born 1907)^[10]
February 8 – Joachim Hoffmann, German historian (born 1930)
February 21 – A. L. Barker, English novelist (born 1918)
February 27 – Spike Milligan, Indian-born British-Irish comedian, screenwriter and poet (born 1918)^[11]
March 21 – Thomas Flanagan, American historical novelist (born 1923)
April 6 – Martin Sperr, German dramatist (born 1944)
April 24 – Ismith Khan, Trinidad-born novelist (born 1925)^[12]
April 27 – George Alec Effinger, American science fiction author (born 1947)^[13]
May 6 – Pim Fortuyn, Dutch political columnist and writer (born 1948)
May 17 – Dave Berg, American cartoonist (born 1920)
May 20 – Stephen J. Gould, American paleontologist, biologist and writer (born 1941)
June 2 – Flora Lewis, American journalist (born 1922)
June 13 – R. W. B. Lewis, American critic (born 1917)
June 20
- Timothy Findley, Canadian novelist and playwright (born 1930)
- Kenneth Kantzer, American theologian (born 1917)
June 24 – John Kincaid McNeillie (also Ian Niall), Scottish novelist and non-fiction writer (born 1916)
July 23 – Chaim Potok, American writer (born 1929)^[14]
August 25 – Dorothy Hewett, Australian poet and playwright (born 1923)
September 17 – Eileen Colwell, English children's librarian (born 1904)^[15]
September 20 – Joan Littlewood, English theatre director and biographer (born 1914)^[16]
October 13 – Stephen E. Ambrose, American historian and biographer (born 1936)
October 21 – Harbhajan Singh, Indian Punjabi poet and critic (born 1920)
October 27 – Sesto Pals, Romanian Israeli poet and philosopher (cancer, born ca. 1912)
October 28 – Sugathapala de Silva, Sri Lankan dramatist, novelist and translator writing in Sinhalese (born 1928)
November 8 – Jon Elia, Pakistani poet and philosopher writing in Urdu (born 1931)
December 12 – Dee Brown, American novelist and historian (born 1908)^[17]
December 24 – Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author, poet and artist (born 1920)^[18]

Awards

Nobel Prize for Literature: Imre Kertész

Australia

The Australian/Vogel Literary Award: Danielle Wood, The Alphabet of Light and Dark
C. J. Dennis Prize for Poetry: Robert Gray, Afterimages
Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: Alan Wearne, The Lovemakers
Mary Gilmore Prize: Geraldine McKenzie, Duty
Miles Franklin Award: Tim Winton, Dirt Music

Canada

Giller Prize: Austin Clarke, The Polished Hoe
See 2002 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
Griffin Poetry Prize: Christian Bök, Eunoia and Alice Notley, Disobedience
Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction: Tom Allen, Rolling Home ^[19]

France

Prix Décembre: Pierre Michon, Abbés and Corps du Roi
Prix Femina: Chantal Thomas, Les adieux à la reine
Prix Femina (non-fiction): Michael Barry, Massoud
Prix Goncourt: Pascal Quignard, Les Ombres errantes^[20]
Prix Médicis French: Daniel Desmarquet, Kafka et les jeunes filles
Prix Médicis Non-Fiction: Anne F. Garréta, Pas un jour
Prix Médicis International: Philip Roth, The Human Stain

United Kingdom

Booker Prize: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
Caine Prize for African Writing: Binyavanga Wainaina, "Discovering Home"
Carnegie Medal for children's literature: Sharon Creech, Ruby Holler ^[21]
James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction: Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections
James Tait Black Memorial Prize for biography: Jenny Uglow, The Lunar Men: The Friends Who Made the Future 1730–1810
Cholmondeley Award: Moniza Alvi, David Constantine, Liz Lochhead, Brian Patten
Eric Gregory Award: Caroline Bird, Christopher James, Jacob Polley, Luke Heeley, Judith Lal, David Leonard Briggs, Eleanor Rees, Kathryn Simmonds
Samuel Johnson Prize: Margaret MacMillan, Peacemakers: The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and Its Attempt to End War
Whitbread Best Book Award: Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass
Orange Prize for Fiction: Ann Patchett, Bel Canto
Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry: Peter Porter

United States

Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize: Shao Wei, Pulling a Dragon's Teeth
Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry: Grace Schulman
Arthur Rense Prize for poetry: B.H. Fairchild
Bernard F. Connors Prize for Poetry: Timothy Donnelly, “His Long Imprison'd Thought”
Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry: Alice Fulton, Felt
Brittingham Prize in Poetry: Anna George Meek, Acts of Contortion
Compton Crook Award: Wen Spencer, Alien Taste
Frost Medal: Galway Kinnell
Hugo Award: Neil Gaiman, American Gods
National Book Award for Fiction: Julia Glass, Three Junes
National Book Critics Circle Award: Ian McEwan, Atonement
Newbery Medal for children's literature: Linda Sue Park, A Single Shard ^[22]
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: Ann Patchett, Bel Canto
Pulitzer Prize for Drama: Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: Richard Russo, Empire Falls
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Carl Dennis, Practical Gods
Wallace Stevens Award: Ruth Stone
Whiting Awards:

Fiction: Jeffery Renard Allen, Justin Cronin, Kim Edwards, Michelle Huneven, Danzy Senna

Plays: Melissa James Gibson, Evan Smith

Poetry: Elizabeth Arnold, David Gewanter, Joshua Weiner

Other

Camões Prize: Maria Velho da Costa
Finlandia Prize: Kari Hotakainen Trench Street
International Dublin Literary Award: Michel Houellebecq, Les Particules Élémentaires
Macmillan Writers' Prize for Africa Adult Fiction: Yvonne Vera, Stone Virgins
Premio Nadal: Ángela Vallvey, Los estados carenciales
SAARC Literary Award: Laxmi Chand Gupta

Notes

Hahn, Daniel (2015). The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press. ISBN 9780198715542.

References

↑ "C-SPAN Restarts 'American Writers' – 2002-03-25 00:00:00 | Multichannel News". Multichannel.com. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
↑ "Tilting At Victory, 'Quixote' Tops Authors' Poll". New York Times. May 8, 2002. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
↑ Hahn 2015, p. 609
↑ Hahn 2015, p. 217
↑ Levy, Michael; Mendlesohn, Farah (21 April 2016). Children's Fantasy Literature. Cambridge University Press. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-107-01814-3.
↑ Olson, Danel (2011). 21st-century Gothic: Great Gothic Novels Since 2000. Scarecrow Press. p. 523. ISBN 978-0-8108-7728-3.
↑ Hahn 2015, p. 631
↑ Faculty of Arts, 2003, Edna Staebler Award Archived 2014-06-06 at Archive-It , Wilfrid Laurier University, Previous winners, Alison Watt, Retrieved 11/27/2012
↑ Michael Eaude (18 January 2002). "Camilo José Cela". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
↑ "Astrid Lindgren Dies at 94". The Washington Post. 29 January 2002.
↑ "Spike Milligan dies at 83". The Guardian. 27 February 2002. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
↑ "Ismith Khan, 77, Author and Teacher". The New York Times. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
↑ "George Effinger, 55, Who Laced Science Fiction With Dark Humor". New York Times. May 2, 2002.
↑ Eric Homberger (31 July 2002). "Chaim Potok". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
↑ Stephenson, Chris (September 25, 2002). "Eileen Colwell Gifted storyteller and creative pioneer of children's libraries". the guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
↑ "Obituary: Joan Littlewood". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
↑ Christopher Reed (17 December 2002). "Dee Brown". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
↑ "Kjell Aukrust". Norsk Kunstnerleksikon. 20 February 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
↑ Faculty of Arts, 2002, Edna Staebler Award Archived 2014-06-06 at Archive-It , Wilfrid Laurier University, Previous winners, Tom Allen, Retrieved 11/26/2012
↑ "Book of literary shadows wins Goncourt prize". The Guardian. 28 October 2002. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
↑ Hahn 2015, p. 661
↑ Hahn 2015, p. 658

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "C-SPAN Restarts 'American Writers' – 2002-03-25 00:00:00 | Multichannel News". Multichannel.com. Retrieved 2012-01-29.

[2] "Tilting At Victory, 'Quixote' Tops Authors' Poll". New York Times. May 8, 2002. Retrieved 16 January 2021.

[3] Hahn 2015, p. 609

[4] Hahn 2015, p. 217

[5] Levy, Michael; Mendlesohn, Farah (21 April 2016). Children's Fantasy Literature. Cambridge University Press. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-107-01814-3.

[6] Olson, Danel (2011). 21st-century Gothic: Great Gothic Novels Since 2000. Scarecrow Press. p. 523. ISBN 978-0-8108-7728-3.

[7] Hahn 2015, p. 631

[8] Faculty of Arts, 2003, Edna Staebler Award Archived 2014-06-06 at Archive-It , Wilfrid Laurier University, Previous winners, Alison Watt, Retrieved 11/27/2012

[9] Michael Eaude (18 January 2002). "Camilo José Cela". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021.

[10] "Astrid Lindgren Dies at 94". The Washington Post. 29 January 2002.

[11] "Spike Milligan dies at 83". The Guardian. 27 February 2002. Retrieved 16 January 2021.

[12] "Ismith Khan, 77, Author and Teacher". The New York Times. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 20 May 2019.

[13] "George Effinger, 55, Who Laced Science Fiction With Dark Humor". New York Times. May 2, 2002.

[14] Eric Homberger (31 July 2002). "Chaim Potok". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021.

[15] Stephenson, Chris (September 25, 2002). "Eileen Colwell Gifted storyteller and creative pioneer of children's libraries". the guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2015.

[16] "Obituary: Joan Littlewood". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2018.

[17] Christopher Reed (17 December 2002). "Dee Brown". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021.

[18] "Kjell Aukrust". Norsk Kunstnerleksikon. 20 February 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2021.

[19] Faculty of Arts, 2002, Edna Staebler Award Archived 2014-06-06 at Archive-It , Wilfrid Laurier University, Previous winners, Tom Allen, Retrieved 11/26/2012

[20] "Book of literary shadows wins Goncourt prize". The Guardian. 28 October 2002. Retrieved 16 January 2021.

[21] Hahn 2015, p. 661

[22] Hahn 2015, p. 658

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]