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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.

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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...

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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 ...

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Adcock Caroline Forbes
Fleur Adcock

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

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JohnAgard
John Agard

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

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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...

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Allnutt Sarah Banks
Gillian Allnutt

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

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David Almond
David Almond

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

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Moniza Alvi

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

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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...

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Rachel Anderson selfie
Rachel Anderson

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

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Kate Atkinson CURRENT c Euan Myles
Kate Atkinson

Kate Atkinson was born in York in 1951 and studied English Literature at Dundee University. After gr...

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Paul Bailey c Jonathan Ring web
Paul Bailey

Writer and broadcaster Paul Bailey was born on 16 February 1937. He won a scholarship to the Central...

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Biyi Bandele

Biyi Bandele was born in Nigeria in 1967, and now lives in London. He has written several plays, and...

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John Banville
John Banville

Irish novelist John Banville was born in Wexford in Ireland in 1945. He was educated at a Christian ...

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Pat Barker c Justine Stoddard 2015 USE THIS ONE web
Pat Barker

Novelist Pat Barker was born in Thornaby-on-Tees in Yorkshire, England, on 8 May 1943.She was educat...

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Nicola Barker c Tony Davis
Nicola Barker

Nicola Barker was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, in 1966. She spent part of her life in South Africa b...

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Nick Barlay
Nick Barlay

Nick Barlay is the author of three novels: Curvy Lovebox (1997), Crumple Zone (2000) and Hooky Gear ...

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Julian Barnes

Novelist Julian Barnes was born in Leicester on 19 January 1946, and was educated at the City of Lon...

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Jonathan Bate
Jonathan Bate

Jonathan Bate studied at Cambridge and Harvard universities. Well known as a biographer, critic, bro...

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Alan+Bennett credit Alex Bailey courtesy of History Boys Ltd
Alan Bennett

Alan Bennett was born in 1934 in Leeds. He studied at Exeter College, Oxford, then after a period of...

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From Our Blog

Olga Tokarczuk - Nobel Prize Winner

By Antonia Lloyd-Jones

Following Olga Tokarczuk's Nobel Prize win, one of her translators tells us how the British Council's Cultural programme at the London Book Fair provided a new platform for Polish literature.

Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year - meet the shortlist

OPEN CALL: Arabic-English Translation Workshop, Sharjah

By Joe White

We’re looking for mid-career English to Arabic or Arabic to English translators to participate in a workshop which will take place 13-15 February 2020 in Sharjah, UAE.

Cancelled: International Rights Forum

Join us for a half-day seminar on buying and selling rights in Sharjah and the wider Arab Market.

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