April 15 in Literary History: Writers Born & Died

Writers born on April 15

Born	Writer	Known as
1959	Emma Thompson	English actress and screenwriter (born 1959)
1958	Benjamin Zephaniah	British poet and author (1958–2023)
1951	Heloise (columnist)	American writer
1950	Josiane Balasko	French actress, writer, and director (born 1950)
1947	Linda Bloodworth-Thomason	American writer and television producer (born 1947)
1943	Pınar Kür	Turkish novelist, dramatist, and translator (1942–2025)
1940	Jeffrey Archer	English author and politician (1940–2026)
1931	Tomas Tranströmer	Swedish poet and psychologist (1931–2015)
1923	Artur Alliksaar	Estonian poet
1922	Hasrat Jaipuri	Indian poet and lyricist (1922–1999)
1919	Alberto Breccia	Uruguayan-Argentine artist and cartoonist (1919–1993)
1916	Helene Hanff	American dramatist
1892	Corrie ten Boom	Dutch resistance hero and writer
1888	Maximilian Kronberger	German poet
1886	Nikolai Gumilev	Russian poet and literary critic (1886–1921)
1879	Melville Henry Cane	American poet
1878	Robert Walser	Swiss writer (1878–1956)
1877	W. D. Ross	Scottish philosopher and translator (1877–1971)
1861	Bliss Carman	Canadian poet
1856	Jean Moréas	Greek poet, essayist, and art critic (1856–1910)
1843	Henry James	American British writer (1843–1916)
1832	Wilhelm Busch	German humorist, poet, illustrator, and painter (1832–1908)
1588	Claudius Salmasius	French classical scholar, writer and professor in Leiden (1588–1653)

Writers who died on April 15

Died	Writer	Known as
2010	Jack Herer	American author and activist (1939–2010)
2007	Brant Parker	American cartoonist
2002	Damon Knight	American science fiction writer, editor and critic (1922–2002)
2000	Edward Gorey	American writer and illustrator (1925–2000)
1993	Leslie Charteris	British-Chinese author
1986	Jean Genet	French novelist, playwright, and poet (1910–1986)
1971	Gurgen Boryan	Gurgen Boryan, Armenian poet and playwright (born 1915)
1971	Friedebert Tuglas	Estonian writer and critic
1942	Robert Musil	Austrian philosophical writer (1880–1942)
1938	César Vallejo	Peruvian writer & poet (1892–1938)
1927	Gaston Leroux	French author and journalist (1868–1927)
1917	János Murkovics	Slovene teacher, musician and writer
1912	Jacques Futrelle	American mystery writer (1875–1912)
1888	Matthew Arnold	English poet and cultural critic (1822–1888)
1854	Arthur Aikin	English chemist, mineralogist and scientific writer (1773–1854)
1659	Simon Dach	German lyrical poet and hymnwriter

Literary events on April 15

Year	Event
1802	English poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy encountered a "long belt" of daffodils near Ullswater, inspiring him to pen his best-known work, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud".
1755	Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London.
1755	A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson was first published, becoming one of the most influential dictionaries in the history of English.

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Emma Thompson (1959) — Dame Emma Thompson is an English actress and screenwriter. Her work spans over four decades of screen and stage, and her accolades include two Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award as well as a nomination for two Grammy Awards.

Benjamin Zephaniah (1958) — Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah was a British writer, dub poet, actor, musician and professor of poetry and creative writing. Over his lifetime, he was awarded 20 honorary doctorates in recognition of his contributions to literature, education, and the arts.

Heloise (columnist) (1951) — Ponce Kiah Marchelle Heloise Cruse Evans, best known by her pen name Heloise, is an American writer, author, and speaker specializing in lifestyle hints, including consumer issues, pets, travel, food, home improvement, and health. Heloise's father was in the Air Force, and like many military brats she moved frequently.

April 15 in literary history

Writers born on April 15

Writers who died on April 15

Literary events on April 15

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Sources & data