Originally by Ron GarciaList RulesList includes known gay authors, living or dead—can be novelists, short story or film writers, poets, etc. Vote on the merits of their work
Who are the most famous gay writers in history? This list contains over 200 of the most notable gay writers ever, with photos where available. Some of the literary world's best talent has come from gay writers. The best gay authors may or may not choose to speak openly about their sexuality and tackle it as a theme in their writing or in their books. The LGBTQ+ community has contributed wonderful pieces of writing—from poems and novels to fantastic journalism—and many gay writers of the 20th century, like Oscar Wilde and Tennessee Williams, are studied in school and revered for their work.
Who are the most famous gay and lesbian authors? This list includes authors from ancient times to modern day, famous gay poets, novelists, screenplay writers and LGBTQ+ authors. Some on the list may not be considered "gay" by modern terms as cultures have changed throughout the centuries. Others were out and proud and used their unique experience to create some of the best gay literature of all time. That said, regardless of their era in antiquity, these gay authors have all expressed interest in same-sex relations.
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1,248237Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray, SalomeBirthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Birthdate: 1854
Nationality: Republic of Ireland
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish poet... more on Wikipedia
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549160Walt Whitman
Leaves of Grass, Drum TapsBirthplace: West Hills, New York
Birthdate: 1819
Nationality: United States of America
Walt Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist.... more on Wikipedia3
468138Tennessee Williams
Sweet Bird of Youth, The Rose TattooBirthplace: Columbus, Mississippi, Lowndes County, United States of America, United States
Birthdate: 1911
Nationality: United States of America
Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name... more on Wikipedia4
35295E. M. Forster
A Room with a View, A Passage to IndiaBirthplace: Marylebone, Eurasia, United Kingdom, London, England
Birthdate: 1879
Nationality: England
Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English novelist, short story... more on Wikipedia5
477167James Baldwin
Go Tell It on the Mountain, Another CountryBirthplace: Harlem, New York City, New York
Birthdate: 1924
Nationality: United States of America
James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American novelist, playwright,... more on Wikipedia6
375128Marcel Proust
In Search of Lost Time, Swann in loveBirthplace: Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy
Birthdate: 1871
Nationality: France
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; French: [maʁsɛl pʁust]; 10 July 1871 – 18... more on Wikipedia7
623162Virginia Woolf
To the Lighthouse, A Room of One's OwnBirthplace: Kensington, London, United Kingdom
Birthdate: 1882-01-25
Nationality: England
Adeline Virginia Woolf (; née Stephen; 25 January 1882 – 28 March 1941) was an English... more on Wikipedia8
369128Truman Capote
In Cold Blood, Breakfast at Tiffany'sBirthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
Birthdate: 1924-09-30
Nationality: United States of America
Truman Garcia Capote (; born Truman Streckfus Persons, September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984)... more on Wikipedia9
27853Arthur Rimbaud
A Season in Hell, IlluminationsBirthplace: Charleville-Mézières, France
Birthdate: 1854
Nationality: France
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (UK: , US: ; French: [aʁtyʁ ʁɛ̃bo] (listen); 20 October 1854 – 10... more on Wikipedia10
42595Emily Dickinson
The complete poems, Acts of Light: The World of Emily DickinsonBirthplace: Amherst, Massachusetts
Birthdate: 1830-12-10
Nationality: United States of America
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Dickinson... more on Wikipedia11
253112Langston Hughes
The panther & the lash, Mule BoneBirthplace: Joplin, Missouri, United States of America
Birthdate: 1902
Nationality: United States of America
Series Written: The Collected Works of Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social... more on Wikipedia12
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307118T. S. Eliot
The Waste Land, The Love Song of J. Alfred PrufrockBirthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Birthdate: 1888
Nationality: United States of America, United Kingdom, England
Series Written: Four Quartets
Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 1888 – 4 January 1965), "one of the twentieth century's... more on Wikipedia14
218108Christopher Isherwood
A Single Man, Goodbye to BerlinBirthplace: Wyberslegh Hall, United Kingdom
Birthdate: 1904
Nationality: United States of America, United Kingdom, England
Series Written: Christopher Isherwood Diaries
Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood (26 August 1904 – 4 January 1986) was an... more on Wikipedia15
19747Yukio Mishima
Confessions of a Mask, Forbidden ColorsBirthplace: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Birthdate: 1925
Nationality: Japan
Yukio Mishima (三島 由紀夫, Mishima Yukio) is the pen name of Kimitake Hiraoka (平岡 公威, Hiraoka... more on Wikipedia16
28272Federico García Lorca
Doña Rosita the Spinster, The House of Bernarda AlbaBirthplace: Fuente Vaqueros, Spain
Birthdate: 1898
Nationality: Spain
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (Spanish pronunciation: [feðeˈɾiko ðel... more on Wikipedia17
19681Sylvia Plath
The Bell Jar, The Colossus and Other PoemsBirthplace: Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts
Birthdate: 1932
Nationality: United States of America, Germany
Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and... more on Wikipedia18
34471Sappho
The Poetry of Sappho, The songs of SapphoBirthplace: Lesbos, Greece
Birthdate: 311-06-11
Nationality: Ancient Greece
Sappho (; Aeolic Greek Ψάπφω Psáppho; c. 630 – c. 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from the... more on Wikipedia19
230108Alice Walker
The Color Purple, Possessing the Secret of JoyBirthplace: Eatonton, Putnam County, United States of America, United States, with Territories
Birthdate: 1944
Nationality: United States of America
Alice Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and... more on Wikipedia20
17674Sarah Waters
Tipping the Velvet, FingersmithBirthplace: Eurasia, United Kingdom, Neyland
Birthdate: 1966
Nationality: United Kingdom
Sarah Ann Waters (born 21 July 1966) is a Welsh novelist. She is best known for her novels... more on Wikipedia21
17450Albert Russo
Mixed Blood, The Black AncestorBirthplace: Congo
Birthdate: 1943
Nationality: Belgian
Albert Russo is a Belgian bilingual author of novels, short stories, essays and poems, as well... more on Wikipedia22
16450Thomas Mann
The Magic Mountain, Death in VeniceBirthplace: Lübeck, Germany
Birthdate: 1875-06-06
Nationality: United States of America, German Empire, Czechoslovakia
Paul Thomas Mann (UK: MAN, US: MAHN; German: [ˈpaʊ̯l ˈtoːmas ˈman]; 6 June 1875 – 12 August... more on Wikipedia23
20493D. H. Lawrence
Lady Chatterley's Lover, Sons and LoversBirthplace: Eastwood, United Kingdom
Birthdate: 1885-09-11
Nationality: England
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15347Elizabeth Bishop
Words in Air: The Complete Correspondence Between Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell, One ArtBirthplace: Worcester, Massachusetts
Birthdate: 1911
Nationality: United States of America
Elizabeth Bishop (February 8, 1911 – October 6, 1979) was an American poet and short-story... more on Wikipedia25
18987Patricia Highsmith
The Talented Mr. Ripley, Strangers on a TrainBirthplace: Fort Worth, Texas
Birthdate: 1921
Nationality: United States of America
Patricia Highsmith (January 19, 1921 – February 4, 1995) was an American novelist and short... more on Wikipedia
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