On this day
April 30 in literary history
Literary history for April 30: 22 writers born, 15 writers who died and 2 literary events from 1660 to 2024. Born on this day: Meredith L. Patterson, Charles Berling, Zlatko Topčić.
Writers born on April 30
| Born | Writer | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Meredith L. Patterson | American technologist, science fiction author, and journalist (born 1977) |
| 1958 | Charles Berling | French actor, director, and screenwriter |
| 1955 | Zlatko Topčić | Bosnian playwright and novelist (born 1955) |
| 1946 | Bill Plympton | American illustrator, animator, and film director |
| 1945 | Annie Dillard | American author (1945–2026) |
| 1944 | Jon Bing | Norwegian writer and professor of law (1944–2014) |
| 1940 | Jeroen Brouwers | Dutch writer (1940–2022) |
| 1938 | Larry Niven | American science fiction writer (born 1938) |
| 1937 | Tony Harrison | English poet (1937–2025) |
| 1928 | Hugh Hood | Canadian writer and university professor (1928–2000) |
| 1924 | Sheldon Harnick | American lyricist and songwriter (1924–2023) |
| 1924 | Uno Laht | Estonian writer and poet |
| 1920 | Gerda Lerner | American historian and woman's history author (1920–2013) |
| 1916 | Paul Kuusberg | Estonian writer (1916–2003) |
| 1910 | Levi Celerio | Filipino composer and lyricist |
| 1900 | Erni Krusten | Estonian writer (1900–1984) |
| 1895 | Philippe Panneton | Canadian physician, academic, diplomat and writer |
| 1888 | John Crowe Ransom | American writer and literary critic |
| 1883 | Jaroslav Hašek | Czech humorist, satirist, writer and anarchist (1883–1923) |
| 1880 | Charles Exeter Devereux Crombie | British cartoonist and artist (1885–1967) |
| 1874 | Cyriel Verschaeve | Flemish nationalist priest and writer who collaborated with the Nazis |
| 1870 | Dadasaheb Phalke | Indian film producer, director and screenwriter (1870–1944) |
Writers who died on April 30
| Died | Writer | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Paul Auster | American writer and film director (1947–2024) |
| 2013 | Viviane Forrester | French author (1925–2013) |
| 2011 | Ernesto Sabato | Argentine writer and physicist (1911–2011) |
| 2007 | Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk | Inuk writer (1931-2007) |
| 2006 | Jean-François Revel | French writer and philosopher (1924–2006) |
| 2006 | Pramoedya Ananta Toer | Indonesian novelist and writer (1925–2006) |
| 1998 | Nizar Qabbani | Syrian diplomat, poet and publisher (1923–1998) |
| 1994 | Richard Scarry | American author and illustrator (1919–1994) |
| 1973 | Václav Renč | Czech poet, writer, dramatist and translator |
| 1970 | Jacques Presser | Dutch historian, writer and poet (1899–1970) |
| 1936 | A. E. Housman | English classicist and poet (1859–1936) |
| 1910 | Jean Moréas | Greek poet, essayist, and art critic (1856–1910) |
| 1841 | Peter Andreas Heiberg | Danish-Norwegian author and philologist |
| 1795 | Jean-Jacques Barthélemy | French writer and numismatist (1716–1795) |
| 1660 | Petrus Scriverius | Dutch writer and scholar (1576–1660) |
Literary events on April 30
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2004 | The New Yorker published an online article and photographs detailing accounts of torture and abuse by American military personnel of Iraqi prisoners held at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. |
| 1859 | Charles Dickens publishes the first edition of his literary magazine, All the Year Round, containing the first installment of his best-selling classic, A Tale of Two Cities. |
Featured
Meredith L. Patterson (1977) — Meredith L. Patterson is an American technologist, science fiction writer, and journalist. She has spoken at numerous industry conferences on a wide range of topics. She is also a blogger and software developer, and a leading figure in the biopunk movement.
Charles Berling (1958) — Charles Berling is a French actor, director and screenwriter.
Zlatko Topčić (1955) — Zlatko Topčić is a Bosnian screenwriter, playwright and novelist. He has written a number of films, including: Remake, The Abandoned, Miracle in Bosnia; theater plays: Time Out, I Don't Like Mondays, Refugees; novels: The Final Word, Dagmar, June 28, 1914.
Sources & data
- Compiled from Wikipedia’s “On this day” selections (CC BY-SA 4.0), filtered for writers and literary events.