Menu

Writers Directory

This unique, searchable database contains profiles of some of the UK and Commonwealth's most important living writers, as well as writers from these regions whom we have worked with. Included in the profiles are biographies, bibliographies, critical reviews, and information about awards.

Filters

Filter by genre:

Filter by project:

Filter by initial:

Filter by gender:

Writers directory

Leila Aboulela
Leila Aboulela

Leila Aboulela was born in 1964 in Cairo and grew up in Khartoum. She studied for a degree in Econom...

Genres:

Ackroyd Peter new photo c Charles Hopkinson
Peter Ackroyd

Novelist, biographer and poet Peter Ackroyd was born in London on 5 October 1949. He graduated from ...

Genres:

Adcock Caroline Forbes
Fleur Adcock

Poet Fleur Adcock was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 10 February 1934, but spent much of her chil...

Genres:

JohnAgard
John Agard

Playwright, poet, short story and children's writer John Agard was born on 21 June 1949 in British G...

Genres:

Patience Agbabi c Lyndon Douglas
Patience Agbabi

Patience Agbabi is a poet, performer and workshop facilitator. She was born in London in 1965 to Nig...

Genres:

Naomi Alderman credit Justine Stoddard web
Naomi Alderman

Naomi Alderman was born in London in 1974 and grew up in an Orthodox Jewish community.  After attain...

Genres:

Brian Aldiss by Wendy Aldiss 2015 2938
Brian Aldiss

Poet, playwright, critic, fiction and science-fiction writer Brian W(ilson) Aldiss was born on 18 Au...

Genres:

Ali Tariq credit Nina Subin high res
Tariq Ali

Writer, journalist and film-maker Tariq Ali was born in Lahore in 1943. He was educated at Oxford Un...

Genres:

Monica ali
Monica Ali

Monica Ali is the daughter of English and Bangladeshi parents. She came to England aged three, her f...

Genres:

Allnutt Sarah Banks
Gillian Allnutt

Gillian Allnutt was born on 15 January 1949 in London, but spent much of her childhood in Newcastle ...

Genres:

David Almond
David Almond

David Almond was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1951 and grew up in the small mining town of Felling...

Genres:

20999 bgr moniza creidt 220x500
Moniza Alvi

Moniza Alvi was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and came to England when she was a few months old. She gre...

Genres:

Amis Martin Credit Tom Craig at Bill Charles agency
Martin Amis

Martin Amis was born in Oxford in 1949, the son of the writer Kingsley Amis. He was educated at scho...

Genres:

tahmima anam web
Tahmima Anam

Tahmima Anam is the author of the Bengal Trilogy, which chronicles three generations of the Haque fa...

Genres:

Anita Anand cSuki Dhanda web
Anita Anand

Broadcaster, journalist and biographer Anita Anand was born in 1972 and educated at King’s College, ...

Genres:

Rachel Anderson selfie
Rachel Anderson

Rachel Anderson was born in 1943 and worked for 20 years for BBC Radio, newspapers and magazines as ...

Genres:

PhilipArdagh c Dominic Turner
Philip Ardagh

Philip Ardagh is a prolific writer of adult and children's fiction and non-fiction. He was born in 1...

Genres:

Simon Armitage credit Paul Wolfgang Webster website
Simon Armitage

Poet and novelist Simon Armitage was born in 1963 in Huddersfield, England. After studying Geography...

Genres:

Jake Arnott c Cristian Barnett
Jake Arnott

Jake Arnott was born in Buckinghamshire, England in 1961. His novel, The Long Firm, the story of the...

Genres:

Aslam+Nadeem credit Richard Lea Hair web
Nadeem Aslam

Nadeem Aslam was born in Pakistan in 1966 and moved to the UK as a teenager, his family settling in ...

Genres:

From Our Blog

Christmas Reads and Recommendations 2018

Some recommendations for reading and giving over the Christmas period

PODCAST: Meet the shortlist for the Sunday Times + PFD Young Writers Award 2018

By Liz Moon

Listen to our podcast with the 4 shortlisted authors from the Sunday Times Young Writer's Award 2018.

OPEN CALL: Sub-Saharan Africa Research Grants

By Liz Moon

We are aiming to increase connections between the UK creative sectors and young creative professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa and to expand knowledge of contemporary African art in the UK.

Indonesia Market Focus 2019: Funding Opportunities

We are offering a number of grants to support collaborative exchange between Indonesian and UK literary professionals. Deadline is 17 December 2018.

View all blog posts

Sign Up to the Newsletter

literature matters

We publish a Literature Newsletter when we have news and features on UK and international literature, plus opportunities for the industry to share. To subscribe to the newsletter, until further notice, please press the subscribe button. You may unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe link in the newsletter. We will process your personal information based on your consent. British Council may use the information you provide for the purposes of research and service improvement, to ask for feedback in the form of questionnaires and surveys. We do this in our legitimate interest.



Data Protection

British Council complies with data protection law in the UK and laws in other countries that meet internationally accepted standards. You have the right to ask for a copy of the information we hold on you, and the right to ask us to correct any inaccuracies in that information. If you have concerns about how we have used your personal information, you also have the right to complain to a privacy regulator. For detailed information, please refer to the privacy section of our website or contact your local British Council office . We will keep your information for a period of 7 years from the time of collection.

Back to top
Visit our arts sites
British Council global

© 2018 British Council The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).