Menu

Writers Directory

This database was created to provide a snapshot of contemporary British Literature, offering unique critical perspectives of the work of some of the writers living and working in the UK today. Our website is currently under review and as a result we are not updating the database or adding new entries at this time.  Please check our blog pages for updates on our current Literature programmes. 

Filters

Filter by genre:

Filter by project:

Filter by initial:

Writers directory

McCarthyTomlitweb.jpg
Tom McCarthy

Tom McCarthy was born in 1969 and grew up in London. His debut novel, Remainder, was initially rejec...

Genres:

McCarthy Woolf credit Naomi Woddis
Karen McCarthy Woolf

Poet Karen McCarthy Woolf was born in London to an English mother and a Jamaican father. Her groundb...

Genres:

mccaughrean.jpg
Geraldine McCaughrean

Geraldine McCaughrean was born in 1951 and brought up in North London.She studied at Christ Church C...

Genres:

Val McDermid photocredit Mimsy Moller
Val McDermid

Crime writer Val McDermid grew up in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, and studied English at Oxford University. ...

Genres:

Ian McEwan

Ian McEwan was born on 21 June in 1948 in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. He spent much of his childh...

Genres:

mcgough.jpg
Roger McGough

Award-winning poet, playwright, broadcaster and children's author Roger McGough was born on 9 Novemb...

Genres:

ClaireMcGowanphotoby.jpg
Claire McGowan

Claire McGowan was born in Northern Ireland in 1981. She grew up in a village where the most excitin...

Genres:

Jon McGregor c Dan Sinclair
Jon McGregor

Jon McGregor was born in Bermuda in 1976. He moved with his family to England and spent his childhoo...

Genres:

Medbh McGuckian
Medbh McGuckian

Medbh McGuckian was born in Belfast on 12 August 1950 and educated at a Dominican convent and Queen'...

Genres:

McGuinness Patrick Credit Barney Jones
Patrick McGuinness

Patrick McGuinness was born in Tunisia in 1968.  He is a Fellow of St. Anne's College, Oxford, where...

Genres:

hilary mckay headshot credit Hilary McKay
Hilary McKay

Hilary McKay was born in Boston, Lincolnshire where she grew up the eldest of four girls in a family...

Genres:

Jamie McKendrick credit Norman McBeath
Jamie McKendrick

Jamie McKendrick was born in Liverpool in 1955, studied at Nottingham University and taught for some...

Genres:

mcKenzie.jpg
Sophie McKenzie

Sophie McKenzie was born in London, studied at university there, and worked as a journalist, an edit...

Genres:

dmckie c The Guardian
David McKie

David McKie was born in 1935, and works as a journalist and author. He was deputy editor of The Guar...

Genres:

IM Adrian Mealing palm 1
Ian McMillan

Poet Ian McMillan was born in 1956, in Darfield, South Yorkshire, England and was educated at North ...

Genres:

mcnish.jpg
Cliff McNish

Cliff McNish was born in Sunderland in 1962 and worked in the computer industry before taking up wri...

Genres:

PaulMcVeighcRoeloffB.JPG
Paul McVeigh

Born in Belfast, Paul McVeigh began his award-winning writing career as a playwright before moving t...

Genres:

McWilliam+Candia+iii+c
Candia McWilliam

Candia McWilliam was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1955 and educated at Girton College, Cambridge....

Genres:

James Meek by Sophy Geering
James Meek

James Meek was born in London in 1962 and grew up in Dundee. He worked as a reporter for 20 years, a...

Genres:

Pauline MELVILLE bw
Pauline Melville

Pauline Melville was born in Guyana in 1948. She has worked as an actress, appearing in films such a...

Genres:

From Our Blog

London Book Fair 2024

The British Council Literature Team will be at London Book Fair, 12-14 March 2024. Find us at the International Welcome Point hosted by British Council, stand 2C120.

Beyond Literature Borders

We are delighted to announce a new pilot grant programme for international work from independent literature organisation Speaking Volumes, funded by the British Council.

Sub-Saharan Africa Publishing and Literature Sector Study

By Matt Beavers

The British Council wishes to engage a researcher to conduct in-depth research into the trade publishing and literature sectors in six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Celebrating Windrush 75 with Poetry

'Poems on the Underground' commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Windrush's arrival in Britain with a new set of six poems.

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

© 2024 British Council The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).