▲Ian McEwan is a prolific author who has written many very famous books, a huge number of which have been made into films. These include 'Atonement' and 'Enduring Love.'

▲Doris Lessing was an award-winning author, and the recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature. Her works include 'The Grass is Singing' and 'The Golden Notebook.'

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The 1960 novel 'To Kill A Mockingbird' was Harper Lee's most famous work. She was inspired to write it based on her experiences witnessing racism while growing up in Alabama.

▲James Baldwin was a very influential figure in the Civil Rights movement, and was also openly gay. He wrote many books, including 'If Beale Street Could Talk,' from which the 2018 movie was based off of.

▲Ian Fleming was most famous for writing books featuring the infamous character James Bond, which of course were the initial inspiration for the films.

▲Jean Genet was a French author. Having been jailed in his youth, he went on to write many books such as 'The Thief's Journal' and 'Our Lady of the Flowers.'

▲James Joyce was one of the most famous Irish authors of all time. He is best known for his novels 'Ulysses' and 'Dubliners.' He set all his writing in his native country.

▲Helen Fielding is a British author who is very famous for writing the 'Bridget Jones' books. The highly successful books have also been made into several films.

▲Aldous Huxley was best known for his book 'Brave New World.' He has written many others, and was at the forefront of writing about psychedelic and dystopian issues.

▲John Grisham is most famous for writing legal thrillers. He is also a lawyer, and served in the House of Representatives. Many of his books have been made into films.

▲T.S. Eliot was an American who became naturalized in the UK. He was a prolific writer and most famous for his poetry and plays.

▲Kurt Vonnegut was a highly praised writer of contemporary fiction. Most famous for his novel 'Slaughterhouse-Five,' his work also consisted of short stories and plays.

▲Isaac Asimov was a prolific writer, mainly of science fiction. He was also a professor of biochemistry at Boston University and wrote some science books.

▲W. B. Yeats was a very famous Irish writer, who is best known for his poetry. He is widely considered to be one of the most significant writers of the 20th century.

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J. K. Rowling went from rags to bountiful riches because of the books she has written. She created the 'Harry Potter' series, which was obviously then made into films.

Click here to find out about the actors who almost appeared in Harry Potter films!

▲William Faulkner was a celebrated American writer who won the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature. 'A Fable' and 'The Reivers' both won the Pulitzer prize for fiction.

▲From an affluent background, Virginia Woolf has had a strong influence on modern contemporary literature, particularly with regards to feminist writing.

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Roald Dahl was one of the most popular and best-loved children's authors of all time. He also wrote adult fiction, but his most famous works are all children's books.

▲Norman Mailer was a very well-known author and essayist. A controversial character, he notoriously stabbed his wife in a drunken rage in 1960.

▲John Steinbeck was a famous American author whose books include 'Of Mice and Men,' 'East of Eden,' and 'The Grapes of Wrath,' which is considered his best work.

▲Kingsley Amis was a British writer who wrote many novels, in addition to poetry, short stories, and scripts. He is widely regarded as being one of the best writers of comedic fiction.

▲Agatha Christie was an extremely well-known British author of detective stories. She created the characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and wrote the long-running play 'The Mousetrap.'

▲William S. Burroughs was a writer whose most famous work includes 'Naked Lunch' and 'Junky,' which was influenced by his own experiences as a heroin addict.

▲Evelyn Waugh was a British comedic writer. His most famous work includes 'Brideshead Revisited.' He had a decadent life at university, and then began to follow Catholicism.

▲Anthony Burgess was a British writer, who is best known for the famous book 'A Clockwork Orange,' which was made into a film in 1971.

▲Graham Greene was a British writer, and the author of many very famous books, including 'Brighton Rock,' 'The End of the Affair,' and 'Our Man in Havana.'

▲Ernest Hemingway was one of the most famous and influential writers of the 20th century. His best known work is 'The Old Man and the Sea.'

▲F. Scott Fitzgerald is viewed as one of the best American writers of the 20th century. He is most famous for having written 'The Great Gatsby.'

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The 1980 novel 'The Name of the Rose' was Umberto Eco's best known work. It is a historical mystery, which was made into a film just a few years after its release.

▲Margaret Atwood is a multi award-winning author, who is best known for her book 'The Handmaid's Tale.' The very popular TV show was made based on the book.

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The 20th century contained some of the finest writers who have ever lived. It was a groundbreaking century in so many ways, not least of all in literature.

Many subjects that would have been considered far too controversial for publication became relatively mainstream. There were also numerous authors that began exploring completely new styles of writing, in addition to choosing new subjects to traverse in literature.

The following writers have all been massive influences on the next generations of authors to come. Check them out in this gallery!

The most influential authors of the 20th century

Iconic writers who influenced the world with their stories

04/03/25 por StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Books

The 20th century contained some of the finest writers who have ever lived. It was a groundbreaking century in so many ways, not least of all in literature.

The following writers have all been massive influences on the next generations of authors to come. Check them out in this gallery!