Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (1858-1940) was a Swedish author. In 1909 she became the first woman to ever receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings". She later also became the first female member of the Swedish Academy. Born in the forested countryside of Sweden she was told many of the classic Swedish fairytales, which she would later use as inspiration in her magic realist writings. Since she for some of her early years had problems with her legs (she was born with a faulty hip) she would also spend a lot of time reading books such as the Bible. As a young woman she was a teacher in the southern parts of Sweden for ten years before her first novel Gösta Berling's Saga was published. As her writer career progressed she would keep up a correspondance with some of her former female collegues for almost her entire life. Lagerlöf never married and was almost certainly a lesbian (she never officially stated that she was, but most later researchers believe this to be the case). For many years her constant companion was fellow writer Sophie Elkan, with whom she traveled to Italy and the Middle East. Her visit to Palestine and a colony of Christians there, would inspire her to write Jerusalem, her story of Swedish farmers converting into a evangelical Christian group and travelling to "The American Colony" in Jerusalem. Lagerlöf was involved in both women issues as well as politics. She would among other things help the Jewish writer Nelly Sachs to come to Sweden and donated her Nobel medal to the Finnish war effort against the Soviet union. Outside of Sweden she's perhaps most widely known for her children's book Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige (The Wonderful Adventures of Nils).

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. He is seen as a key figure in the development of American literature for his tales of the nation's colonial history. Shortly after graduating from Bowdoin College, Hathorne changed his name to Hawthorne. Hawthorne anonymously published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828. In 1837, he published Twice-Told Tales and became engaged to painter and illustrator Sophia Peabody the next year. He worked at a Custom House and joined a Transcendentalist Utopian community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The couple moved to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment took Hawthorne and family to Europe before returning to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, leaving behind his wife and their three children. Much of Hawthorne's writing centers around New England and many feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His work is considered part of the Romantic movement and includes novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend, the United States President Franklin Pierce.

Alan Alexander Milne (pronounced /ˈmɪln/) was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems. A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor. Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919. After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff." He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted". He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.

Українська письменниця в жанрах міського та історичного фентезі і соціальної фантастики; сценаристка і редакторка. Народилася в Черкасах, вже 25 років живу і працюю в Києві. Маю вищу медичну освіту, багато років працювала за фахом у одній з державних лікарень м. Києва, є співавторкою підручника з онкології для студентів медичних вишів. Займалася журналістикою («Українське слово», «АRТ Ukraine») і писала прозу. Тривалий час майже не публікувалася через завантаженість лікарською роботою. В 2015-16-х роках змінила професію і почала працювати у кіновиробництві, як медична консультантка, сценаристка і, врешті, редакторка у телесеріалах. Маю кілька епізодичних ролей у кіно. Є авторкою і співзасновницею творчого об’єднання фантастів «ЛІТавиця» – освітнього, конкурсного, дискусійного та промоційного хаба для молодих українських фантастів. Захоплююся фотографією, природничими науками, історією. Пишу прозу в жанрах соціальної фантастики, історичного та міського фентезі. Мої ранні публікації: журнал «Смолоскипи» (2000 рік); кілька оповідань (сольних і співавторських) в журналах та антологіях «РБЖ Азимут» за 2020-21 рр., а також в антологіях української фантастики від творчого об’єднання «ЛІТавиця» (2021-23 рр). Майже всі ці твори ставали переможцями чи фіналістами різних українських конкурсів. У вересні 2022 року вийшла моя авторська збірка фантастичних оповідань «Ключ від всіх дверей». Співавторка роману в жанрі міського фентезі "Діти вогненного часу" (разом з Мією Марченко) та фантастичного роману в оповіданнях "Корчма на перехресті світів" (спільний проєкт 11 українських авторок та авторів). Обидва романи вийшли у серпні 2024 року у видавництві "Рідберрі". "Діти вогненного часу" отримали відзнаку "Фентезі року" від "БараБуки". В лютому 2025 року вийшов друком мій новий роман в жанрі соціальної фантастики "Пісня бризів. Діти Книги" (видавництво "Жорж"). Протягом 2025 очікуються ще новинки і новини ;)

Юлія Ілюха – українська поетка, прозаїкиня, журналістка. Народилася в Харківській області, Україна. Вірші та проза перекладені англійською, німецькою, італійською, болгарською, угорською, каталонською, польською, шведською, португальською, французькою, литовською та іншими мовами. Ілюха отримала низку нагород, зокрема Міжнародну українсько-німецьку літературну премію імені Олеся Гончара, премію Міжнародного літературного конкурсу «Коронація слова 2018», International Chapbook Prize 2023 від журналу 128 LIT (США), Rotahorn-Literaturpreis 2024 (Австрія) та Книгу року BBC 2024. Кураторка соціально-поетичного мультимедійного проекту «Там, де вдома», присвяченого реабілітації ветеранів війни в Україні через творчість, та упорядниця однойменної збірки віршів. Авторка серії інтерв'ю з письменниками для щоденної всеукраїнської газети «День». Займалася волонтерством з початку війни в Україні в 2014 році, разом із подругою вона зібрала понад 500 індивідуальних тактичних аптечок для українських солдатів.

Dylan Marlais Thomas (1914-1953) was a Welsh poet who wrote in English. Many regard him as one of the 20th century's most influential poets. In addition to poetry, Thomas wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, with the latter frequently performed by Thomas himself. His public readings, particularly in America, won him great acclaim; his booming, at times, ostentatious voice, with a subtle Welsh lilt, became almost as famous as his works. His best-known work includes the "play for voices" Under Milk Wood and the celebrated villanelle for his dying father, "Do not go gentle into that good night." Appreciative critics have also noted the superb craftsmanship and compression of poems such as "In my craft or sullen art" and the rhapsodic lyricism of Fern Hill.

Ігор Антонюк — автор з Івано-Франківська, історик та педагог. Дебютував як автор горору та містики в часописах «Світ фентезі», «ТекстOver», згодом увійшов до збірки переможців конкурсу «Дотик зачаєного жаху» з оповіданням «Шепіт сосен». Цей твір дав назву дебютній збірці горор-оповідань, що вийшла у 2018 році. Нова книга автора «Монету підкине кожен» — збірка химерних оповідань: про фатальні збіги та химерні містифікації, що трапляються в житті кожного з нас.

Milorad Pavić was a Serbian poet, prose writer, translator, and literary historian. Pavić wrote five novels which were translated into English: Dictionary of the Khazars: A Lexicon Novel, Landscape Painted With Tea, Inner Side of the Wind, Last Love in Constantinople and Unique Item as well as many short stories not in English translation.

Олена Пчілка (Ольга Петрівна Драгоманова, в заміжжі Косач) — українська письменниця, драматург, публіцистика, громадська і культурна діячка, перекладачка, фольклористка, етнограф, член-кореспондент Всеукраїнської академії наук (1925); мати Лесі Українки, сестра Михайла Драгоманова. Народилася 30 червня (17 червня за ст. стилем) 1849 року в містечку Гадяч на Полтавщині в родині небагатого поміщика Петра Якимовича Драгоманова. Початкову освіту отримала вдома. Батьки прищепили їй любов до літератури, до української народної пісні, казки, обрядовості. В 1866 році закінчила київський «Зразковий пансіон шляхетних дівиць». Влітку 1868 року разом з чоловіком виїхали на Волинь до місця служби П. А. Косача у містечко Звягель (нині Новоград-Волинський), де записувала пісні, обряди, народні звичаї, збирала зразки народних вишивок. 25 лютого 1871 року тут народилася дочка Лариса, яка ввійшла в світову літературу як Леся Українка. Два сини й чотири дочки виростила сім'я Косачів. Свій творчий шлях розпочала з перекладів поетичних творів Пушкіна і Лермонтова. 1876 року вийшла друком у Києві її книжка «Український народний орнамент», яка принесла Олені Пчілці славу першого в Україні знавця цього виду народного мистецтва, в 1881 році вийшла збірка перекладів з Миколи Гоголя і з Олександра Пушкіна й Михайла Лєрмонтова «Українським дітям», видала своїм коштом «Співомовки» С. Руданського (1880). З 1883 року почала друкувати вірші та оповідання у львівському журналі «Зоря», перша збірка поезій «Думки-мережанки» (1886). Одночасно брала діяльну участь у жіночому русі, в 1887 році разом з Наталією Кобринською видала у Львові альманах «Перший Вінок». Навесні 1879 року О. П. Косач з дітьми приїхала в Луцьк до свого чоловіка, якого було переведено на посаду голови Луцько-Дубенського з'їзду мирових посередників. У Луцьку вона вступила в драматичне товариство, а гроші, зібрані від спектаклів, запропонувала використати для придбання українських книг для клубної бібліотеки. Файл:Олена Пчілка (Косач-Драгоманова). 1910-ті.jpg Олена Пчілка. 1910-ті. У 1890-х роках жила в Києві, у 1906–1914 роках була видавцем журналу «Рідний Край» з додатком «Молода Україна» (1908–1914), «Газету Гадяцького земства» (1917–1919). Національні і соціальні мотиви становили основний зміст творів Олени Пчілки, в яких вона виступала проти денаціоналізації, русифікації, проти національного і політичного гніту, проти чужої школи з її бездушністю та формалізмам, показувала, як національно свідома українська молодь в добу глухої реакції шукала шляхів до визволення свого народу. У 1920 році за антибільшовицькі виступи була заарештована в Гадячі. Після звільнення з арешту виїхала в Могилів-Подільський, де перебувала до 1924 року, а відтоді до смерті жила в Києві, працюючи в комісіях УАН, членом-кореспондентом якої була з 1925 року. Померла 4 жовтня 1930 року. Похована в Києві на Байковому кладовищі поруч з чоловіком і донькою.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) was an American Presbyterian clergyman, educator, and author. He graduated from Princeton in 1873, and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1874. He was pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church, New York City (1883-99), professor of English literature at Princeton (1899-1923), and U.S. minister to the Netherlands (1913-16). Among his popular inspirational writings is the Christmas story The Other Wise Man (1896). As President Wilson's ambassador to the Netherlands from 1913, Van Dyke was a first-hand witness to the outbreak of World War I and its progress, and was a key player in the President's diplomatic efforts to keep the U.S. out of the conflict. Not to be confused with his father, Henry J. Van Dyke (1822-1891). For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/van-dyke...

Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity. Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms. Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens' creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters. On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down. (from Wikipedia)

Людми́ла Петрі́вна Іванцо́ва - українська письменниця, перекладач, журналіст та педагог. За освітою викладач французької та російської мов (закінчила Київський педагогічний інститут, нині Національний педагогічний університет імені Михайла Драгоманова), викладала французьку в школі, Ліцеї туризму, Інституті туризму Федерації Профспілок України. Пізніше створила власні курси іноземних мов, потім круто змінила своє життя, зайнявшись нерухомістю, дизайном інтер'єрів, петриківським розписом, фотографією, а зрештою — літературною творчістю. Вона — автор оповідань, повістей, статей та віршів, опублікованих в літературних журналах України, Росії, Естонії, Німеччини, Ізраїлю та Нової Зеландії,а також автор романів, які видано українською та російською мовами. Останні роки займається професійною літературною діяльністю. В лютому 2013 за рейтингом журналу "Фокус" посіла четверте місце в рейтингу 30 найуспішніших письменників України. Організаторка всеукраїнського соціального благодійного проекту «100 книжок для сільської бібліотеки», метою якого є наповнення сільських бібліотек сучасною українською та зарубіжною літературою. Полюбляє саджати дерева та квіти, збирає колекцію старовинних чавунних прасок і відтворює оригінальні картини на сканері за власною технологією, малює по склу та олійними фарбами.

Such volumes as Cabbages and Kings (1904) and The Four Million (1906) collect short stories, noted for their often surprising endings, of American writer William Sydney Porter, who used the pen name O. Henry. His biography shows where he found inspiration for his characters. His era produced their voices and his language. Mother of three-year-old Porter died from tuberculosis. He left school at fifteen years of age and worked for five years in drugstore of his uncle and then for two years at a Texas sheep ranch. In 1884, he went to Austin, where he worked in a real estate office and a church choir and spent four years as a draftsman in the general land office. His wife and firstborn died, but daughter Margaret survived him. He failed to establish a small humorous weekly and afterward worked in poorly-run bank. When its accounts balanced not, people blamed and fired him. In Houston, he worked for a few years until, ordered to stand trial for embezzlement, he fled to New Orleans and thence Honduras. Two years later, he returned on account of illness of his wife. Apprehended, Porter served a few months more than three years in a penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. During his incarceration, he composed ten short stories, including A Blackjack Bargainer , The Enchanted Kiss , and The Duplicity of Hargraves . In 1899, McClure's published Whistling Dick's Christmas Story and Georgia's Ruling . In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he sent manuscripts to New York editors. In the spring of 1902, Ainslee's Magazine offered him a regular income if he moved to New York. In less than eight years, he became a bestselling author of collections of short stories. Cabbages and Kings came first in 1904 The Four Million, and The Trimmed Lamp and Heart of the West followed in 1907, and The Voice of the City in 1908, Roads of Destiny and Options in 1909, Strictly Business and Whirligigs in 1910 followed. Posthumously published collections include The Gentle Grafter about the swindler, Jeff Peters; Rolling Stones , Waifs and Strays , and in 1936, unsigned stories, followed. People rewarded other persons financially more. A Retrieved Reformation about the safe-cracker Jimmy Valentine got $250; six years later, $500 for dramatic rights, which gave over $100,000 royalties for playwright Paul Armstrong. Many stories have been made into films.

A popular contemporary French author and dramatist, his plays are translated and staged in more than 30 countries all over the world. He studied at the Lycée du Parc in Lyon and was accepted at the famous École normale supérieure in Paris (1980–1985), where he received a doctorate in philosophy. As the theme for his dissertation, he chose "Diderot and metaphysics". He spent three years teaching in Cherbourg and at the university of Chambéry. He is of Alsation extraction. Both of his parents were physical education teachers. Growing up under the influence of his parents' atheist outlook, Schmitt eventually professed himself a Christian, after years of being an agnostic. Initially he became known as a scriptwriter for the stage. His debut work, "La nuit de Valognes", was produced a number of times in 1991/1992, both in France and abroad. His breakthrough theatre work came with his second script, "Le Visiteur", which won Molière prizes for best author and best show in 1993. The following years were littered with theatrical successes such as "Golden Joe" (1995), "Variations Énigmatiques" (1996), "Le Libertin" (1997), "Milarepa" (1997), "Frédérick ou Le Boulevard du Crime" (1998), "Hôtel des deux mondes" (1999) and "Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran" (1999). Schmitt covers a variety of themes in his work. "Golden Joe" takes a look of the cynical attitudes to life of those involved in high finance. In "Variations énigmatiques", the author gives voice to two very different men, who discuss their own philosophies of life and love - as it turns out, both were in love with the same woman. "Le Libertin" is a historical drama about the life of philosopher Denis Diderot and a film version was released in 2000. In 2001, Schmitt was awarded the "Grand Prix du théâtre de l'Académie Française". His plays have been performed in 35 countries and translated into many languages. They show influences from Samuel Beckett, Jean Anouilh and Paul Claudel, among others. In addition to his plays, Schmitt has written a number of successful novels, including "La Secte des Égoïstes" (1994), "Oscar et la dame rose" (1999), "L'Évangile selon Pilate" (2000), "La Part de l'Autre" (2001), "Lorsque j'étais une œuvre d'art" (2002), "L'enfant de Noé" (2004), "Ma vie avec Mozart" (2005). World religions play an important role in Schmitt's writing. In "Le Cycle de l'Invisible", Schmitt attempts a harmonization of religions and cultures. "Milarepa" is the first issue in this series and depicts Tibetan Buddhism. The second volume, "Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran" is dedicated to Sufism, a subset of Islam, also referencing Judaism. "Oscar et la dame rose" (the third volume) concerns Christianity. "L'enfant de Noé" (a comparison of Judaism and Christianity) rounds off the series. "Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran" (English: M. Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran) received the German prize for fiction in 2004 and a film version was produced in 2003, directed by François Dupeyron with Omar Sharif in the title role. Persian: اریک امانوئل شمیت