Nonfiction Authors A-K, CAS-COO
Meet the essayists, biographers, historians, journalists, and other nonfiction writers whose work has informed readers, challenged assumptions, and brought the real world vividly to the page.
Nonfiction Authors A-K Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Cassiodorus
Cassiodorus was a historian, statesman, and monk who helped to save the culture of Rome at a time of impending......
Castaneda, Carlos
Carlos Castaneda was a Peruvian-born anthropologist and writer who was considered a father of the New Age movement......
Castellanos, Rosario
Rosario Castellanos was a novelist, short-story writer, poet, essayist, and diplomat who was probably the most......
Castelnau, Michel de, Sieur De La Mauvissière
Michel de Castelnau, sieur de la Mauvissière was a French diplomat and soldier, noted for his Mémoires of the beginnings......
Castilho, António Feliciano de
António Feliciano de Castilho was a poet and translator, a central figure in the Portuguese Romantic movement.......
Castillo, Ana
Ana Castillo is an American poet and author whose work explores themes of race, sexuality, and gender, especially......
Cather, Willa
Willa Cather was an American novelist noted for her portrayals of the settlers and frontier life on the American......
Catlin, George
George Catlin was an American artist and author, whose paintings of Native American scenes constitute an invaluable......
Caulaincourt, Armand, marquis de, Duc De Vicence
Armand, marquis de Caulaincourt was a French general, diplomat, and ultimately foreign minister under Napoleon.......
Cavendish, George
George Cavendish was an English courtier and writer who won a minor but lasting reputation through a single work,......
Cayrol, Jean
Jean Cayrol was a French poet, novelist, and essayist, who stood at the frontiers of the New Novel (nouveau roman),......
Cecchi, Emilio
Emilio Cecchi was an Italian essayist and critic noted for his writing style and for introducing Italian readers......
Cecil, Lord David
Lord David Cecil was an English biographer, literary critic, and educator, best known for his discerning, sympathetic,......
Cela, Camilo José
Camilo José Cela was a Spanish writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1989. He is perhaps best known......
Celsus, Aulus Cornelius
Aulus Cornelius Celsus was one of the greatest Roman medical writers, author of an encyclopaedia dealing with agriculture,......
Cendrars, Blaise
Blaise Cendrars was a French-speaking poet and essayist who created a powerful new poetic style to express a life......
Cesarotti, Melchiorre
Melchiorre Cesarotti was an Italian poet, essayist, translator, and literary critic who, by his essays and his......
Chaadayev, Pyotr Yakovlevich
Pyotr Yakovlevich Chaadayev was an intellectual and writer whose ideas of Russian history precipitated the controversy......
Chabon, Michael
Michael Chabon is an American novelist and essayist known for his elegant deployment of figurative language and......
Chacel, Rosa
Rosa Chacel was a leading mid-20th-century Spanish woman novelist and an accomplished essayist and poet who, as......
Chalmers, Alexander
Alexander Chalmers was a Scottish editor and biographer best known for his General Biographical Dictionary (1812–17),......
Chamfort, Sébastien-Roch Nicolas
Sébastien-Roch Nicolas Chamfort was a French playwright and conversationalist, famous for his wit, whose maxims......
Chamisso, Adelbert von
Adelbert von Chamisso was a German-language lyricist best remembered for the Faust-like fairy tale Peter Schlemihls......
Champollion-Figeac, Jacques-Joseph
Jacques-Joseph Champollion-Figeac was a French librarian and paleographer remembered for his own writings and for......
Channing, William Ellery
William Ellery Channing was an American author and moralist, a Congregationalist and, later, Unitarian clergyman.......
Chapman, John Jay
John Jay Chapman was an American poet, dramatist, and critic who attacked the get-rich-quick morality of the post-Civil......
Charbonneau, Robert
Robert Charbonneau was a French Canadian novelist and literary critic, well known for promoting the autonomy of......
Chardin, Jean
Jean Chardin was a French traveler to the Middle East and India. A jeweler’s son with an excellent education, Chardin......
Charlevoix, Pierre-François-Xavier de
Pierre-François-Xavier de Charlevoix was a French Jesuit who wrote one of the earliest descriptive accounts of......
Charlton, Bobby
Bobby Charlton was a football (soccer) player and manager who is regarded as one of the greatest English footballers.......
Chartier, Alain
Alain Chartier was a French poet and political writer whose didactic, elegant, and Latinate style was regarded......
Chase, Mary Ellen
Mary Ellen Chase was an American scholar, teacher, and writer whose novels are largely concerned with the Maine......
Chastellain, Georges
Georges Chastellain was a Burgundian chronicler and one of the leading court poets. He had many literary admirers......
Chateaubriand, François-Auguste-René, vicomte de
François-Auguste-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand was a French author and diplomat, one of his country’s first Romantic......
Chatwin, Bruce
Bruce Chatwin was a British writer who won international acclaim for books based on his nomadic life. In 1966 Chatwin......
Chaudhuri, Nirad C.
Nirad C. Chaudhuri was a Bengali author and scholar who was opposed to the withdrawal of British colonial rule......
Cheever, John
John Cheever was an American short-story writer and novelist whose work describes, often through fantasy and ironic......
Chekhov, Anton
Anton Chekhov was a Russian playwright and master of the modern short story. He was a literary artist of laconic......
Chelčický, Peter
Peter Chelčický was a Czech religious and political writer, the foremost thinker of the 15th-century Czech Hussite......
Chesnut, Mary Boykin
Mary Boykin Chesnut was the author of A Diary from Dixie, an insightful view of Southern life and leadership during......
Chespirito
Chespirito was a Mexican comic actor and writer who became a cultural icon in Latin America for the characters......
Chesterfield, Philip Stanhope, 4th earl of
Philip Stanhope, 4th earl of Chesterfield was a British statesman, diplomat, and wit, chiefly remembered as the......
Chesterton, G.K.
G.K. Chesterton was an English critic and author of verse, essays, novels, and short stories, known also for his......
Chevalier, Ulysse
Ulysse Chevalier was a French priest, scholar, and author of major bibliographical works in medieval history. As......
Child, Francis J.
Francis J. Child was an American scholar and educator important for his systematic study, collecting, and cataloging......
Child, Lydia Maria
Lydia Maria Child was an American author of antislavery works that had great influence in her time. Born into an......
Chris Gardner
Chris Gardner is an American businessman, author, and motivational speaker whose path into finance drew national......
Christie, Agatha
Agatha Christie was an English detective novelist and playwright whose books have sold more than 100 million copies......
Christine de Pisan
Christine de Pisan was a prolific and versatile French poet and author whose diverse writings include numerous......
Chrysander, Friedrich
Friedrich Chrysander was a German music historian and critic, whose collection of the works of George Frideric......
Churchill, Jennie Jerome
Jennie Jerome Churchill was an American-born society figure, remembered chiefly as the wife of Lord Randolph Churchill......
Churchill, Randolph
Randolph Churchill was an English author, journalist, and politician, the only son of British prime minister Winston......
Churchill, Winston
Winston Churchill was a British statesman, orator, and author who as prime minister (1940–45, 1951–55) rallied......
Churchyard, Thomas
Thomas Churchyard was an English writer who won brief fame through his occasional verse, pamphlets on wartime experiences,......
Ch’ang-ch’un
Ch’ang-ch’un was a Taoist monk and alchemist who journeyed from China across the heartland of Asia to visit Genghis......
Cicero
Cicero was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, and writer who vainly tried to uphold republican principles in the......
Cicero
Cicero was one of the most famous spies of World War II, who worked for Nazi Germany in 1943–44 while he was employed......
Cisneros, Sandra
Sandra Cisneros is an American novelist, short-story writer, memoirist, and poet best known for her groundbreaking......
Cixous, Hélène
Hélène Cixous is a French feminist critic and theorist, novelist, and playwright. Cixous’s first language was German.......
Clancy, Tom
Tom Clancy was an American novelist who created the techno-thriller—a suspenseful novel that relies on extensive......
Clark, Mary Higgins
Mary Higgins Clark was an American mystery and suspense writer who for more than four decades was a fixture on......
Clarke, Arthur C.
Arthur C. Clarke was an English writer, notable for both his science fiction and his nonfiction. His best known......
Cleary, Beverly
Beverly Cleary was an American children’s writer whose award-winning books are lively, humorous portrayals of problems......
Cleaver, Eldridge
Eldridge Cleaver was an American Black militant whose autobiographical volume Soul on Ice (1968) is a classic statement......
Clemo, Jack
Jack Clemo was an English poet and author whose physical sufferings—he became deaf about 1936 and blind in 1955—influenced......
Clifford, John
John Clifford was an evangelical Baptist minister and social reformer active in the British labour movement. He......
Clifford, Sir Hugh Charles
Sir Hugh Charles Clifford was a British colonial official and governor, especially associated with Malaya, and......
Clifton, Lucille
Lucille Clifton was an American poet whose works examine family life, racism, and gender. Born of a family that......
Clinton, Chelsea
Chelsea Clinton is an American author, educator, and philanthropist who was perhaps best known as the only child......
Cloete, Stuart
Stuart Cloete was a South African novelist, essayist, and short-story writer known for his vivid narratives and......
Coates, Ta-Nehisi
Ta-Nehisi Coates gained a large following for his essays and journalism exploring contemporary race relations in......
Coelho, Paulo
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian novelist known for employing rich symbolism in his depictions of the often spiritually......
Coetzee, J.M.
J.M. Coetzee is a South African novelist, critic, and translator noted for his novels about the effects of colonization.......
Cohan, George M.
George M. Cohan was an American actor, composer, playwright, and producer, especially of musical comedies, who......
Cohen, Albert
Albert Cohen was a Greek-born French-Jewish novelist, journalist, and diplomat who secured his reputation with......
Colby, Frank Moore
Frank Moore Colby was an American encyclopaedia editor and essayist. Early in his career Colby taught history and......
Colby, William
William Colby was a U.S. government official who pursued a policy of openness during his turbulent tenure (1973–76)......
Coleridge, Sara
Sara Coleridge was an English translator and author of children’s verse, known primarily as the editor of the works......
Colet, Louise
Louise Colet was a French poet and novelist, as noted for her friendships with leading men of letters as for her......
Colette
Colette was an outstanding French writer of the first half of the 20th century whose best novels, largely concerned......
Collett, Camilla
Camilla Collett was a novelist and passionate advocate of women’s rights; she wrote the first Norwegian novel dealing......
Collins, Marva
Marva Collins was an American educator who broke with a public school system she found to be failing inner-city......
Collins, Wilkie
Wilkie Collins was an English sensation novelist, early master of the mystery story, and pioneer of detective fiction.......
Comey, James
During his career as a federal prosecutor, acting attorney general, and FBI director, James Comey has found himself......
Comfort, Alex
Alex Comfort was an English gerontologist and author, best known for his books on sexual behaviour. Comfort was......
Comisso, Giovanni
Giovanni Comisso was an Italian author of letters and of lyric and autobiographical novels. Comisso earned a law......
Commynes, Philippe de
Philippe de Commynes was a statesman and chronicler whose Mémoires establish him as one of the greatest historians......
Compagni, Dino
Dino Compagni was a Florentine official and historian, author of a chronicle of the city’s political life that......
Conan Doyle, Arthur
Arthur Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer best known for his creation of the detective Sherlock Holmes—one of the......
Condorcet, Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de
Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet was a French philosopher of the Enlightenment and advocate......
Connelly, Marc
Marc Connelly was an American playwright, journalist, teacher, actor, and director, best-known for Green Pastures......
Conner, Bart
Bart Conner is one of the most successful gymnasts in U.S. history. He was the country’s first gymnast to capture......
Connolly, Cyril
Cyril Connolly was an English critic, novelist, and man of letters, founder and editor of Horizon, a magazine of......
Conroy, Jack
Jack Conroy was a leftist American writer best known for his contributions to “proletarian literature,” fiction......
Constant, Benjamin
Benjamin Constant was a Franco-Swiss novelist and political writer, the author of Adolphe, a forerunner of the......
Conti, Niccolò dei
Niccolò dei Conti was a Venetian merchant who brought back a vivid account of his 25 years of travels in southern......
Conway, Moncure Daniel
Moncure Daniel Conway was an American clergyman, author, and vigorous abolitionist. Conway was born of Methodist......
Conway, William Martin Conway, Baron
William Martin Conway, Baron Conway was a British mountain climber, explorer, and art historian whose expeditions......
Cooper, Susan Augusta Fenimore
Susan Augusta Fenimore Cooper was a 19th-century American writer and philanthropist, remembered for her writing......
Cooper, Thomas
Thomas Cooper was an English writer whose political epic The Purgatory of Suicides (1845) promulgated in verse......