2008 in literature

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of years in literature (table)
In poetry
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2008.

Events[]

  • January 1 – In the UK's 2008 New Year Honours List, Hanif Kureishi (CBE), Jenny Uglow (OBE), Peter Vansittart (OBE) and Debjani Chatterjee (MBE) are all rewarded for "services to literature."
  • February 29 – Belgian-born "Misha Defonseca" admits that her bestselling Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years (1997) is a literary forgery.
  • April – Signet Books announce they will cease to publish the American historical romance novelist Cassie Edwards after a dispute over plagiarism.
  • April 25 – The first Twitter novel, Small Places by Nicholas Belardes, is launched.[1]
  • May 7–11 – The first Palestine Festival of Literature is held.
  • June 15 – Gore Vidal, asked in a New York Times interview how he felt about the death of his rival William F. Buckley, Jr., replies: "I thought hell is bound to be a livelier place, as he joins forever those whom he served in life, applauding their prejudices and fanning their hatred."
  • July – Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children (1981) is the winner of a poll to select the "Best of the Booker".

New books[]

Fiction[]

Genre fiction[]

Children and young people[]

Drama[]

Poetry[]

Main article: 2008 in poetry

Non-fiction[]

Deaths[]

Margaret Truman
  • January 2 – George MacDonald Fraser, Scottish novelist and screenplay writer (born 1925)
  • January 3 – Henri Chopin, French poet (born 1922)
  • January 11 – Nancy Phelan, Australian writer (born 1913)
  • January 13 – Patricia Verdugo, Chilean journalist and writer (born 1947)
  • January 16 – Hone Tuwhare, New Zealand poet (born 1922)
  • January 17 – Edward D. Hoch, American detective fiction writer (born 1930)
  • January 26
    • John Ardagh, Nyasaland-born English journalist and writer (born 1928)
    • Abraham Brumberg, American writer and editor (born 1926)
  • January 29 – Margaret Truman, American crime novelist and singer (born 1924)
  • January 30 – Miles Kington, Northern Irish-born English journalist and writer (born 1941)
Steve Gerber
  • February 4 – Rose Hacker, English writer and journalist (born 1906)
  • February 7 – Richard Altick, American literary historian (born 1915)
  • February 8 – Phyllis A. Whitney, Japan-born American mystery writer (born 1903)
  • February 10 – Steve Gerber, American comic book writer (born 1947)
  • February 18 – Alain Robbe-Grillet, French novelist (born 1922)[7]
  • February 21
    • Archie Hind, Scottish novelist (born 1928)
    • Robin Moore, American novelist and memoirist (born 1925)
  • February 22 – Stephen Marlowe, American science fiction and crime writer (born 1928)
  • February 28 – Julian Rathbone, English novelist (born 1935)[8]
  • February 29 – Val Plumwood (Val Routley), Australian philosopher (born 1939)
Arthur C. Clarke
  • March 16 – Jonathan Williams, American poet (born 1929)
  • March 19
    • Arthur C. Clarke, English science fiction writer and futurologist (born 1917)
    • Hugo Claus, Belgian writer in Flemish and English (born 1929)[9]
  • March 23 – E. A. Markham, Montserrat poet, writer and activist (born 1939)
  • April 3 – Andrew Crozier, English poet and scholar (born 1943)
  • April 7 – Ludu Daw Amar, Burmese writer and journalist (born 1915)
  • April 13 – Robert Greacen, Irish poet (born 1920)
  • April 17
    • Aimé Césaire, Martinique poet and writer in French (born 1913)
    • Zoya Krakhmalnikova, Russian writer and editor (born 1929)
  • April 18
    • Michael de Larrabeiti, English young-adult novelist and travel writer (born 1934)
    • William W. Warner, American biologist and Pulitzer Prize writer (born 1920)
  • May 1 – Elaine Dundy, American novelist, biographer and playwright (born 1921)
  • May 9 – Nuala O'Faolain, Irish critic and writer (born 1940)
  • May 11 – Jeff Torrington, Scottish novelist (born 1935)
  • May 12 – Oakley Hall, American novelist (born 1920)
  • May 14 – Roy Heath, Guyanese novelist (born 1926)
  • May 19 – Vijay Tendulkar, Indian playwright (born 1928)
  • May 22 – Robert Asprin, American science fiction writer (born 1946)[10][11]
  • May 23 – Alan Brien, English journalist and novelist (born 1925)
  • May 28 – Elinor Lyon, British children's writer (born 1921)
Chinghiz Aitmatov
  • June 2 – Ferenc Fejtő, Hungarian-born French historian and journalist (born 1909)
  • June 4 – Matthew Bruccoli, American biographer and scholar (born 1931)
  • June 5 – Angus Calder, British writer and scholar (born 1942)
  • June 8 – Peter Rühmkorf, German poet and writer (born 1929)
  • June 9 – Algis Budrys (John A. Sentry), American science fiction writer of Lithuanian origin (born 1931)[12]
  • June 10
    • Chinghiz Aitmatov, Kyrgyz writer in Kyrgyz and Russian (born 1928)[13]
    • Eliot Asinof, American novelist and baseball writer (born 1919)[14]
  • June 16 – Mario Rigoni Stern, Italian novelist (born 1921)
  • June 18 – Tasha Tudor, American children's writer and illustrator (born 1915)
  • June 22 – Albert Cossery, Egyptian-born French novelist (born 1913)
  • June 24 – Ruth Cardoso, Brazilian anthropologist and writer (born 1930)
  • June 25 – Lyall Watson, South African scientist and new age writer (born 1939)
  • June 27 – Lenka Reinerová, Czech writer in German (born 1916)
Thomas M. Disch
  • July 1
    • Clay Felker, American magazine editor and journalist (born 1925)
    • Robert Harling, English typographer and novelist (born 1910)
  • July 2 – Simone Ortega, Spanish cookery writer (born 1919)
  • July 4
    • Thomas M. Disch, American science fiction author and poet. (born 1940)
    • Janwillem van de Wetering, Dutch novelist and writer in Dutch and English (born 1931)
  • July 20 – Roger Wolcott Hall, American memoirist and novelist (born 1919)
  • July 27 – Bob Crampsey, Scottish writer (born 1930)
  • July 30 – Peter Coke, English playwright (born 1913)
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
  • August 3 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian writer and Nobel laureate (born 1918)[15]
  • August 7 – Simon Gray, English playwright and memoirist (born 1936)
  • August 9 – Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet (born 1942)
  • August 11 – George Furth, American playwright (born 1932)
  • August 17 – Dave Freeman, American writer and advertising executive (born 1961)
  • August 23 – John Russell, English art critic (born 1919)
  • August 25 – Ahmed Faraz (Syed Akhmad Shah), Pakistani poet in Urdu (born 1931)
  • August 31 – Ken Campbell, English novelist and playwright (born 1941)
David Foster Wallace
  • September 5 – Robert Giroux, American editor and publisher (born 1914)
  • September 7 – Gregory Mcdonald, American mystery writer (born 1937)
  • September 12 – David Foster Wallace, American novelist (born 1962)[16]
  • September 17 – James Crumley, American crime writer (born 1939)
  • September 20 – Duncan Glen, Scottish poet, critic and literary historian (born 1933)
  • September 23 – William Woodruff, English historian and autobiographer (born 1916)
  • September 24 – Bengt Anderberg, Swedish poet, novelist and children's writer (born 1920)
  • September 29 – Hayden Carruth, American poet and literary critic (born 1921)
  • October 4 – Peter Vansittart, English novelist and historical writer (born 1920)
  • October 14 – Barrington J. Bayley, English science fiction writer (born 1937)
  • October 26 – Tony Hillerman, American mystery writer (born 1925)
  • October 27 – Es'kia Mphahlele, South African writer in English (born 1919)
  • October 29 – William Wharton (Albert William Du Aime), American novelist (born 1925)
  • October 31 – Studs Terkel, American historian and broadcaster (born 1912)
  • November 4 – Michael Crichton, American writer and scholar (born 1942)
  • November 13 – Jules Archer, American historian and author (born 1915)
  • November 14 – Kristin Hunter, American author and academic (born 1931)
  • December 1 – Dorothy Sterling, American non-fiction writer for children and historian (born 1913)[17]
  • December 4 – Forrest J Ackerman, American magazine editor, science fiction writer, and literary agent (born 1916)[18]
  • December 15 – Anne-Catharina Vestly, Norwegian children's book author (born 1920)[19]
  • December 20 – Adrian Mitchell, English poet, playwright and fiction writer (born 1932)
  • December 24 – Harold Pinter, English playwright and screenwriter (born 1930)[20]
  • December 31 – Donald E. Westlake, American novelist (born 1933)[21]

Awards and honors[]

Australia[]

Canada[]

United Kingdom[]

  • Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year: The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais, Philip M. Parker
  • Caine Prize for African Writing: Henrietta Rose-Innes, "Poison"
  • Carnegie Medal for children's literature: Philip Reeve, Here Lies Arthur
  • Man Booker Prize: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
  • Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction: to The Road Home by Rose Tremain

United States[]

  • Lambda Literary Awards: Multiple categories; see 2008 Lambda Literary Awards.
  • National Book Award for Fiction: to Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen
  • National Book Critics Circle Award: to 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
  • Newbery Medal for children's literature: Laura Amy Schlitz, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
  • PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: Kate Christensen, The Great Man
  • Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: Junot Diaz, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
  • Whiting Awards:
Fiction: Mischa Berlinski, Laleh Khadivi, Manuel Muñoz, Benjamin Percy, Lysley Tenorio
Nonfiction: Donovan Hohn
Plays: Dael Orlandersmith
Poetry: Rick Hilles, Douglas Kearney, Julie Sheehan

Other[]

  • Premio de la Crítica de Galicia (category Ensayo y Pensamiento): Xurxo Borrazás, Arte e parte

References[]

  1. ^ Nicholas Belardes. "Twitter Novel: Small Places". Nicholas Belardes. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  2. ^ Robins, Peter (August 9, 2008). "Review: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  3. ^ Revue internationale Henry Bauchau n°1 - 2009: L'écriture à l'écoute (in French). Presses univ. de Louvain. 2008. p. 5. ISBN 978-2-87463-139-9.
  4. ^ Sihvonen, Lauri (September 24, 2008). "Lauri Sihvonen on Sofi Oksanen's novel: A Body and a Blowfly". FILI. Archived from the original on July 9, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  5. ^ Steven P. Sondrup; Mark B. Sandberg; Thomas A. DuBois; Dan Ringgaard (December 15, 2017). Nordic Literature: A comparative history. Volume I: Spatial nodes. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 336. ISBN 978-90-272-6505-0.
  6. ^ Faculty of Arts, 2009, Edna Staebler Award Archived June 6, 2014, at Archive-It, Wilfrid Laurier University, Previous winners, Russell Wangersky, Retrieved 11/16/2012
  7. ^ Douglas Johnson (February 19, 2008). "Alain Robbe-Grillet obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  8. ^ Nick Coleman (March 4, 2008). "Julian Rathbone". Guardian. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  9. ^ Douglas Messerli (May 2, 2008). "Hugo Claus". The Guardian. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  10. ^ "Trans World News Notice of Death". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2008.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^ "SFScope Notice of Death from Natural Causes". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2008.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^ Jensen, Trevor (June 11, 2008). "Tapped human side of science fiction". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
  13. ^ "KYRGYZSTAN: CHINGIZ AITMATOV, A MODERN HERO, DIES". EurasiaNet. June 11, 2008. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  14. ^ Weber, Bruce (June 11, 2008). "Eliot Asinof, 'Eight Men Out' Author, Is Dead at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
  15. ^ Kaufman, Michael T; Barnard, Anne (August 4, 2008). "Solzhenitsyn, Literary Giant Who Defied Soviets, Dies at 89". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  16. ^ Max, D. T. (2012). Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace. p. 301. ISBN 978-1-84708-494-1.
  17. ^ Staino, Rocco (January 5, 2009). "In Memoriam: Children's Authors and Illustrators Who Died in 2008". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
  18. ^ Carlson, Michael (December 7, 2008). "Forrest J Ackerman". The Guardian. London. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
  19. ^ Hedeman, Anders (December 15, 2008). "Anne-Cath. Vestly er død". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
  20. ^ Billington, Michael (January 1, 2009). "Goodnight, sweet prince: Shakespearean farewell to Pinter". The Guardian. London: GMG. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on March 26, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  21. ^ The New York Times 2009-01-01.
  22. ^ Faculty of Arts, March 20, 2009, Edna Staebler Award Archived December 8, 2012, at archive.today, Wilfrid Laurier University Headlines (News Releases). Retrieved 11/27/2012

See also[]

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