- 1618 - Roger de Rabutin, Comte de Bussy, French writer born
- 1695 - Jean de la Fontaine, French author died
- 1832 - Juan Montalvo, Ecuadoran author born
- 1872 - Alexander Roda Roda, Austrian writer born
- 1891 - Nella Larsen, African-American novelist born
- 1909 - Eudora Welty, American writer born
- 1922 - John Braine, British novelist born
- 1939 - Seamus Heaney, Irish writer born
- 2000 - Giorgio Bassani, Italian writer died
