On this day
May 18 in literary history
Literary history for May 18: 19 writers born, 11 writers who died and 1 literary events from 1048 to 2014. Born on this day: Nina Björk, John Godber, Diane Duane.
Writers born on May 18
| Born | Writer | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Nina Björk | Swedish writer |
| 1956 | John Godber | Popular English playwright, born 1956 |
| 1952 | Diane Duane | American-Irish science fiction and fantasy author (born 1952) |
| 1948 | Yi Munyeol | South Korean writer (born 1948) |
| 1946 | Gerd Langguth | Gerd Langguth, German political scientist and author (died 2013) |
| 1944 | W. G. Sebald | German writer and academic (1944–2001) |
| 1941 | Miriam Margolyes | British and Australian comedian, writer, and actress (born 1941) |
| 1935 | Pádraig Ó Snodaigh | Irish language activist, writer and publisher (1935–2025) |
| 1931 | Don Martin (cartoonist) | American cartoonist (1931–2000) |
| 1930 | Fred Saberhagen | American science fiction and fantasy writer (1930–2007) |
| 1925 | Lillian Hoban | American writer |
| 1923 | Jean-Louis Roux | Canadian politician, entertainer and playwright |
| 1920 | Anthony Storr | English psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and author (1920–2001) |
| 1912 | Richard Brooks | American filmmaker and writer (1912–1992) |
| 1907 | Irene Hunt | American children's writer |
| 1898 | Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel | Turkish poet, author and politician (1898–1973) |
| 1785 | John Wilson (Scottish writer) | Scottish advocate, literary critic, and author (1785–1854) |
| 1711 | Roger Joseph Boscovich | Croat-Italian physicist and writer (1711–1787) |
| 1048 | Omar Khayyam | Persian polymath and poet (1048–1131) |
Writers who died on May 18
| Died | Writer | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dobrica Ćosić | Serbian writer and politician |
| 2013 | Jo Benkow | Norwegian politician and writer |
| 2001 | Irene Hunt | American children's writer |
| 1998 | Obaidullah Aleem | Pakistani poet (1939–1998) |
| 1989 | Dorothy Ruth Pirone | American biographer; daughter of Babe Ruth |
| 1987 | Mahdi Amel | Lebanese poet and activist (1936–1987) |
| 1981 | William Saroyan | American writer (1908–1981) |
| 1958 | Jacob Fichman | Israeli poet (1881–1958) |
| 1910 | Eliza Orzeszkowa | Polish novelist (1841–1910) |
| 1909 | George Meredith | British novelist and poet (1828–1909) |
| 1799 | Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais | French playwright and diplomat (1732–1799) |
Literary events on May 18
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1593 | Playwright Thomas Kyd's accusations of heresy lead to an arrest warrant for Christopher Marlowe. |
Featured
Nina Björk (1967) — Nina Björk is a Swedish writer and a feminist activist. She is most well known for Under det rosa täcket , a feminist book written in 1996.
John Godber (1956) — John Harry Godber is an English playwright, known mainly for observational comedies. The Plays and Players Yearbook of 1993 rated him the third most performed playwright in the UK after William Shakespeare and Alan Ayckbourn. He has been creative director of the Theatre Royal Wakefield since 2011.
Diane Duane (1952) — Diane Duane is an American science fiction and fantasy author, long based in Ireland. Her works include the Young Wizards young adult fantasy series and the Rihannsu Star Trek novels.
Sources & data
- Compiled from Wikipedia’s “On this day” selections (CC BY-SA 4.0), filtered for writers and literary events.