•
January 2 –
Hans Herbjørnsrud, Norwegian short story writer (died
2023) •
January 5 –
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (also known as James Ngigi), Kenyan novelist (died
2025) •
January 6 –
Mario Rodríguez Cobos ("Silo"), Argentine author and spiritualist (died
2010) •
January 13 –
Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Indian novelist, children's author and poet (died
2019) •
January 20 –
Liz Calder, English publisher and editor •
February 7 –
Andrea Newman, English novelist and screenwriter (died
2019) •
February 9 –
Jovette Marchessault, French Canadian writer and artist (died
2012) •
February 12 •
Judy Blume, American children's author •
Tor Obrestad, Norwegian novelist, poet and documentary writer (died
2020) •
February 22 –
Ishmael Reed, American poet, essayist and novelist •
March 1 –
Michael Kurland, American author of sci-fi and detective fiction •
March 14 –
Eleanor Bron, English humorous writer and actress •
March 24 –
Ian Hamilton, English critic, biographer and poet (died
2001) •
March 27 –
Hansjörg Schneider, Swiss novelist (died
2016) •
April 20 –
Chiung Yao, Taiwanese romance novelist (died
2024) •
April 25 –
John Nagenda, Ugandan writer and sportsman (died
2023) •
April 30 –
Larry Niven, American sci-fi author •
May 13 –
Norma Klein, American author (died
1989) •
May 15 –
Nancy Garden, American author (died
2014) •
May 16 –
Marco Aurelio Denegri, Peruvian literature critic, television host and sexologist (died
2018) •
May 25 •
Raymond Carver, American short-story writer and poet (died
1988) •
Margaret Forster, English novelist and biographer (died
2016) •
May 26 –
Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, Russian novelist and playwright •
June 5 •
Allan Ahlberg, English children's author (died
2025) •
M. K. Wren (Martha Kay Renfroe), American novelist (died
2016) •
June 16 –
Joyce Carol Oates, American novelist •
June 24 –
Lawrence Block, American crime fiction writer •
June 26 –
Maria Velho da Costa, Portuguese writer (died
2020) •
July 15 –
Josephine Cox, English novelist (died
2020) •
July 19 •
Nicholas Bethell, English historian and politician (died
2007) •
Dom Moraes, Indian poet and columnist (died
2004) •
Tom Raworth, English poet (died
2017) •
Mary-Kay Wilmers, American-born editor •
July 28 –
Robert Hughes, Australian critic and historian (died
2012) •
August 15 –
Janusz Zajdel, Polish writer (died
1985) •
August 21 –
Mudrooroo (Colin Johnson), Australian novelist (died
2019) •
August 25 –
Frederick Forsyth, English thriller writer (died
2025) •
August 30 –
Dorota Terakowska, Polish writer and journalist, author of fantasy books for children and young adults (died
2004) •
September 3 –
Caryl Churchill, English dramatist •
September 12 –
Richard Booth, Welsh bookseller (died
2019) •
September 15 –
Charles L. Mee, American dramatist •
September 18 –
Poornachandra Tejaswi, Kannada writer (died
2007) •
September 19 –
Keorapetse Kgositsile, South African Poet Laureate (died
2018) •
October 12 –
Anne Perry (Juliet Marion Hulme), English historical novelist (died
2023) •
October 13 –
Hugo Young, English journalist (died
2003) •
October 16 –
Allan Massie, Singapore-born Scottish writer (died
2026) •
October 17 –
Les Murray, Australian poet (died
2019) •
November 3 –
Terrence McNally, American playwright (died
2020) •
November 4 –
Daniel Snowman, English non-fiction writer and historian •
December 14 –
Leonardo Boff (Genézio Darci Boff), Brazilian philosopher and theologian •
December 21 –
Frank Moorhouse, Australian journalist, author and screenwriter (died
2022) •
December 31 –
Basudeb Dasgupta, Bengali novelist (died
2005) •
unknown date –
Gabriel Ruhumbika, Tanzanian novelist ==Deaths==