2026 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2026.

Anniversaries

• 10 January – Eino Leino died in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 12 January
  • Jack London was born in 1876 (150th Anniversary).
  • Agatha Christie died in 1976 (50th Anniversary).
• 13 January – Michael Bond was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 14 January – Mahasweta Devi was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 19 January – Hans Sachs died in 1576 (450th Anniversary).
• 24 January – E. T. A. Hoffmann was born in 1776 (250th Anniversary).
• 25 January – Joseph Görres was born in 1776 (250th Anniversary).
• 3 February – Richard Yates was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 5 February – Madame de Sévigné was born in 1626 (400th Anniversary).
• 8 February – Neal Cassady was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 9 February – Larissa Reissner died in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 16 February – Joseph Victor von Scheffel was born in 1826 (200th Anniversary).
• 20 February
  • Richard Matheson was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
  • Alfonso Sastre was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 22 February – Zitkala-Ša was born in 1876 (150th Anniversary).
• 24 February – Erich Loest was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 3 March – Sidney Lee died in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 4 March – Léon-Paul Fargue was born in 1876 (150th Anniversary).
• 7 March – Tove Ditlevsen died in 1976 (50th Anniversary).
• 17 March – Siegfried Lenz was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 24 March – Dario Fo was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 27 March – Frank O'Hara was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 31 March – John Fowles was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 1 April – Anne McCaffrey was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 28 April – Harper Lee was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 15 May – Anthony and Peter Shaffer were born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 21 May
  • Ronald Firbank died in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
  • Robert Creeley was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 3 June – Allen Ginsberg was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 4 June – Ain Kaalep was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 8 June – George Sand died in 1876 (150th Anniversary).
• 19 June – Giangiacomo Feltrinelli was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 25 June – Ingeborg Bachmann was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 27 June – Harriet Martineau died in 1876 (150th Anniversary).
• 12 July
  • Max Jacob was born in 1876 (150th Anniversary).
  • Gertrude Bell died in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 18 July – Elizabeth Jennings was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 6 August – Elisabeth Beresford was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 14 August – René Goscinny was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 3 September – Alison Lurie was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 13 September – Sherwood Anderson was born in 1876 (150th Anniversary).
• 14 September – Michel Butor was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 15 October
  • Michel Foucault was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
  • Evan Hunter was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 1 November – Günter de Bruyn was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 5 November – John Berger was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 9 November – Hugh Leonard was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 11 November – Noah Gordon was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 15 November – Anna de Noailles was born in 1876 (150th Anniversary).
• 20 November – John Gardner was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 25 November – Poul Anderson was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 12 December – Jean Richepin died in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 22 December – Filippo Tommaso Marinetti was born in 1876 (150th Anniversary).
• 23 December – Robert Bly was born in 1926 (100th Anniversary).
• 29 December – Rainer Maria Rilke died in 1926 (100th Anniversary).

New books

Dates after each title indicate U.S. publication, unless otherwise indicated.

Children's and young adults

New children's and young adult, sorted by date of publication

Author	Title	Date of pub.	Ref.

Fiction

New adult fiction, sorted by date of publication

Author	Title	Date of pub.	Ref.

Poetry

New poetry, sorted by date of publication

Author	Title	Date of pub.	Ref.

Drama

New drama, sorted by date of publication

Author	Title	Date of pub.	Ref.

Nonfiction

New nonfiction, sorted by date of publication

Author	Title	Date of pub.	Ref.
Jacob Soboroff	Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster	January 6	[1]

Biography and memoir

New biography and memoir, sorted by date of publication

Author	Title	Date	Ref.

Deaths

Individual	Background	Date of death	Age	Cause of death	Ref.
Brian Doyle	Canadian writer	January 1	90		[2]
James Grauerholz	American writer and book editor		73	Complications of pneumonia	[3]
Sukumar Barua	Bangladeshi poet	January 2	87		[4]
Franz Herre	German biographer	January 3	99		[5]
Renée Good	American writer and poet	January 7	37	Shot by law enforcement	[6] [7]
Astrid Roemer	Surinamese-Dutch writer	January 8	78		[8]
Kjersti Scheen	Norwegian writer and illustrator		82		[9]
Frank J. Frost	American scholar and writer	January 9	96		[10]
Erich von Däniken	Swiss author	January 10	90		[11]
Karl Riha	German poet, writer and literary scholar		90		[12]
Scott Adams	American author and cartoonist	January 13	68	Cancer	[13]
Kim Sin-yong	South Korean poet and writer	January 15	80		[14]
Hermann Peter Piwitt	German writer		90		[15]
James Petras	American sociologist and political writer	January 17	89		[16]
Alan Musgrave	New Zealand philosopher and essayist	January 20	85		[17]
Allan Chapman	British historian of science and author	January 21	79		[18]
Kalin Terziyski	Bulgarian poet and writer	January 22	55		[19]
Roland Huntford	British biographer	January 23	98		[20]
David Abulafia	British historian and author	January 24	76		[21]
Michael Parenti	American non-fiction writer		92		[22]
Marie Rouanet	French Occitan writer	January 25	89		[23]
Mark Tully	British journalist and writer		90		[24]
Sia Figiel	Samoan poet and writer	January 26	59		[25]
James Sallis	American writer, poet and biographer	January 27	81		[26]
Gloria Wade-Gayles	African-American academic and non-fiction writer		88		[27]
Vénus Khoury-Ghata	Lebanese-French poet and writer	January 28	88		[28]
Graham E. Fuller	American political analyst and author	January 29	89	Heart problems	[29]
Diana Ferrus	South African poet and storyteller	January 30	72		[30]
X. J. Kennedy	American poet, author and editor		96		[31]
Rita Süssmuth	German politician and non-fiction writer	February 1	88		[32]
Gabor Boritt	American historian and author	February 2	86		[33]
Miroslav Košuta	Slovene poet, playwright and translator		89		[34]
Teresa de Lauretis	Italian academic, feminist and author		87		[35]
Myra MacPherson	American author, biographer and journalist		91		[36]
Allan Massie	Scottish writer and literary reviewer	February 3	87	Cancer	[37]
Fernand Ouellette	Canadian Quebecois poet, writer and essayist		95		[38]
Thuraya Qabil	Saudi Arabian poet and journalist	February 4	85		[39]
Zohar Shavit	Israeli scholar, author and translator		74		[40]
Jeffrey Carver	American science fiction author	February 6	76		[41]
Lina Brockdorff	Maltese writer, playwright and radio broadcaster	February 10	95		[42]
Biodun Jeyifo	Nigerian literary critic, cultural theorist and essayist	February 11	80		[43]
Cees Nooteboom	Dutch poet and writer		92		[44]
Roy Medvedev	Russian studies scholar and political writer	February 13	100		[45]
Susan George	American-French political and social scientist and writer	February 14	91		[46]
Michael Silverblatt	American literary critic and broadcaster		73		[47]
Pol Greisch	Luxembourgian dramatist and writer	February 15	95		[48]
Thomas De Koninck	Canadian philosopher and author	February 16	91		[49]
Dmitry Bavilsky	Russian writer, literary critic and journalist	February 17	57		[50]
Anna dePeyster	British and Australian journalist and novelist		81		[51]
Svein Jarvoll	Norwegian poet, writer, translator and essayist	February 18	79		[52]
Lee Hye-gyeong	South Korean writer	February 20	65		[53]
Sankar	Indian writer		92	Age-related health problems	[54]
Dan Simmons	American science fiction and horror writer	February 21	77	Complications from a stroke	[55]
Ali Babachahi	Iranian poet, writer, and literary critic	February 23	83		[56]
Coleman Barks	American poet and interpreter of Rumi		88		[57]
Glaudi Barsotti	French Occitan writer and journalist		92		[58]
Andrej Medved	Slovenian poet, editor and translator		79		[59]
Gregorio Morán	Spanish journalist and writer		79		[60]
Nina Gabrielyan	Russian poet, writer, and poetry translator	February 24	72		[61]
Ann Godoff	American editor and publisher		76	Complications from bone cancer	[62]
Jeremy Larner	American author and poet		88	Parkinson's disease and lymphoma	[63]
William E. Connolly	American political theorist and author	February 25	88		[64]
Rob Grant	English comedy writer and television producer		70		[65]
T. K. Oommen	Indian sociologist and non-fiction writer	February 26	88		[66]
Jeelani Bano	Indian writer	March 1	89		[67]
Jahanara Arzu	Bangladeshi poet	March 2	93		[68]
Nikolay Kolyada	Russian writer, playwright, playwriting teacher and director		68		[69]
Peter Schneider	German writer	March 3	85	Cancer	[70]
António Lobo Antunes	Portuguese writer	March 5	83		[71]
Eigra Lewis Roberts	Welsh writer, playwright and poet	March	86		[72]

References

1. Salazar, Miguel; Thompson, Laura (2026-01-07). "The Nonfiction Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2026". New York Times . Archived from the original on 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
2. Saxberg, Lynn (2 January 2026). "Brian Doyle, celebrated Ottawa author, dies at age 90". Ottawa Citizen . Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
3. "Obituary #8: James Grauerholz". Rock and Beat Generation. 2 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
4. "Sukumar Barua, whose rhymes shaped the childhoods of generations, dies at 87". The Financial Express. 2 January 2026. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
5. "Franz Herre". trauer.merkur.de (in German). 2026-01-05. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
6. "Renee Nicole Good: Who was the woman killed by ICE in Minneapolis?". BBC . 2026-01-09. Archived from the original on 2026-01-09. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
7. Powell, Tori (2026-01-09). "January 9, 2026 — Minneapolis shooting, ICE agent's cellphone captures confrontation". CNN. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
8. "Starnieuws - Schrijfster Astrid Roemer overleden". Starnieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-01-12.
9. "Kjersti Scheen". Wang Begravelsesbyrå. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
10. Frank J. Frost. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
11. "Schweizer Autor und Publizist Erich von Däniken ist gestorben". Tages Anzeiger. 11 January 2026. Archived from the original on 11 January 2026. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
12. "Karl Riha" (death notice). 57trauer.de, 17 January 2026 (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2026.
13. Smith, Harrison (January 13, 2026). "Scott Adams, Dilbert creator who poked fun at bad bosses, dies at 68". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on January 14, 2026. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
14. '한국의 장 주네' 김신용 시인 별세…향년 81세 (in Korean)
15. "Hermann Peter Piwitt ist tot" Archived 2026-01-17 at the Wayback Machine . spiegel.de, 16 January 2026 (in German). Retrieved 18 January 2026.
16. "James Petras, In Memorian". petras.lahaine.org, 13 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
17. "Musgrave, Alan Edward". Hope and Sons. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
18. "Dr Allan Chapman, 1946–2026". Royal Astronomical Society. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
19. "Writer Kalin Terziyski Dies Aged 55". BTA. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
20. Patrick Kidd: "Obituary: Roland Huntford, polar historian". observer.co.uk, 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
21. "Professor David Abulafia CBE has died. He was 76". News. Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
22. "Michael Parenti (1933 – 2026): The Inconvenient Public Intellectual". openthemagazine. 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
23. "Mort de l'écrivaine biterroise Marie Rouanet : figure de proue de la culture occitane, l'artiste est décédée à 89 ans". Midi Libre. 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
24. "Mark Tully, BBC's "Voice of India", dies aged 90". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
25. Pouoa, Grace (2026-01-26). "Papalii Sia Figiel Found Dead in her Cell at Tanumalala Prison". Samoa Global News. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
26. Schaub, Michael (January 30, 2026). "Author James Sallis Dies at 81". Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved 2026-02-02.
27. Abdur-Rahman, Nahlah (2026-01-27). "Rest In Power. Dr. Gloria Wade-Gayles, Trailblazing Black And Women's Studies Scholar, Dies At 88". Black Enterprise. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
28. Mort de Vénus Khoury-Ghata, récompensée par le Prix Goncourt de la poésie, à l'âge de 88 ans (in French). Retrieved 29 January 2026.
29. "In Memoriam: Graham Fuller Has Passed On". EIR News. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
30. Jacobs, Yasmine (30 January 2026). "Iconic poet and advocate for justice Dr Diana Ferrus dies at 72". IOL. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
31. "'A Line or Two Worth Keeping All Too Rare'". Bored Reading. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
32. "Ex-Bundestagspräsidentin Rita Süssmuth gestorben". BR24 (in German). 1 February 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
33. "Obituary: Gabor Boritt, Immigrant, Refugee-Turned-Renowned Scholar of Lincoln and American Civil War History, Dies at 86". Gettysburg Connection. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
34. È morto il poeta Miroslav Kosuta (in Italian). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
35. A Teresa de Lauretis (in Italian). Retrieved 9 February 2026.
36. "Myra MacPherson, trailblazing Washington Post journalist, dies at 91". The Washington Post. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
37. "Acclaimed novelist Allan Massie dies aged 87". BBC News. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
38. "L'écrivain et poète Fernand Ouellette s'éteint à 95 ans". ici.radio-canada. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
39. خنساء القرن العشرين «ثريا قابل» في ذمة الله (in Arabic). Retrieved 4 February 2026.
40. כלת פרס ישראל פרופ' זהר שביט הלכה לעולמה (in Hebrew). Retrieved 4 February 2026.
41. "Jeffrey Carver". keefefuneralhome.com. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
42. "The National Book Council Salutes the Memory of Lina Brockdorff". ktieb.org.mt, 11 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
43. "Renowned Literary Critic Biodun Jeyifo Dies At 80". Retrieved 11 February 2026.
44. "Cees Nooteboom (92) overleden: een groot schrijver die genres en continenten doorkruiste". Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-02-11.
45. Историк Рой Медведев умер на 101-м году жизни (in Russian). Retrieved 14 February 2026.
46. Susan George – acclaimed political scientist and TNI’s honorary president – has passed away at the age of 91. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
47. "Remembering KCRW's Bookworm Michael Silverblatt". KCRW. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
48. En Noruff op de Schauspiller an Auteur Pol Greisch (in Luxembourgish). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
49. Thomas De Koninck s'éteint à 91 ans (in French). Retrieved 17 February 2026.
50. Умер писатель Дмитрий Бавильский (in Russian). Retrieved 18 February 2026.
51. Adams, Cindy (20 February 2026). "Author and philanthropist Anna Murdoch-Mann dies at 81". New York Post. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
52. Forfatter Svein Jarvoll er død, 79 år gammel (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 February 2026.
53. Novelist Lee Hye-kyung, Who Explored Marginalized Lives, Dies at 66. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
54. Noted Bengali author ‘Shankar’ dies at 93. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
55. One of the greatest modern science fiction authors, Dan Simmons, has died. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
56. علی باباچاهی، شاعر و منتقد ادبی، در ۸۳ سالگی درگذشت (in Persian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
57. Coleman Bryan Barks. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
58. Nos a quitats Glaudi Barsòtti (in Occitan). Retrieved 24 February 2026.
59. Dr. Andrej Medved has passed away. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
60. Ellakuría, Iñaki (23 February 2026). "Muere el periodista Gregorio Morán , biógrafo de Adolfo Suárez, gran cronista de la Transición y azote del nacionalismo catalán". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 February 2026.
61. Ушла из жизни Нина Михайловна Габриелян - руководитель культурных проектов САР (in Russian). Retrieved 25 February 2026.
62. Roberts, Sam (February 25, 2026). "Ann Godoff, a Top Editor and Publisher of Best Sellers, Dies at 76" – via NYTimes.com. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
63. Sandomir, Richard. "Jeremy Larner, Who Wrote 'The Candidate,' a Political Film Classic, Dies at 88". The New York Times . Retrieved March 7, 2026.
64. "William E. Connolly Obituary February 25, 2026". Eclipse Funeral Care. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
65. Perry, Kevin E G (2026-02-26). "Red Dwarf's 'visionary' co-creator Rob Grant dies aged 70". The Independent. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
66. Eminent sociologist Prof. T. K. Oommen dies at 88. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
67. Renowned Urdu writer Jeelani Bano passes away at 90. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
68. Ekushey Padak-winning poet Jahanara Arju passes away at 93. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
69. Умер Николай Коляда (in Russian). Retrieved 2 March 2026.
70. Reinhard Mohr: "Der fabelhafte Mauerspringer". welt.de, 4 March 2026 (in German). Retrieved 4 March 2026.
71. António Lobo Antunes, one of the great authors of Portuguese literature, has died. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
72. "Teyrngedau i'r llenor Eigra Lewis Roberts sydd wedi marw'n 86 oed". BBC Cymru Fyw (in Welsh). 6 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.