See also: 1911 in literature, other events of 1912, 1913 in literature, list of years in literature.
Events
New books
Births
- January 7 - Charles Addams, cartoonist (d. 1988)
- January 14 - Rudolf Hagelstange, German lyricist, narrator and essayist (d. 1984)
- January 30 - Barbara Tuchman, historian (d. 1989)
- February 11 - Roy Fuller English poet/novelist (d. 1991)
- February 12 - R. F. Delderfield, novelist and historian (d. 1972)
- February 17 - Andre Norton, sci-fi and fantasy author
- February 20 - Pierre Boulle, novelist (d. 1994)
- February 27 - Lawrence Durrell, poet and novelist
- March 12 - Kylie Tennant, novelist, dramatist and historian
- May 3 - May Sarton, American writer (d. 1995)
- May 16 - Studs Terkel, writer and broadcaster
- May 20 - J. L. Carr, novelist and publisher
- May 27 - John Cheever, writer (d. 1982)
- May 29 - Pamela Hansford Johnson, poet, novelist and critic, and wife of C. P. Snow
- June 20 - Anthony Buckeridge, children's author
- June 29 - John Toland, Pulitzer-winning historian and biographer
- July 6 - Heinrich Harrer, explorer and author (Seven Years in Tibet)
- July 14 - Northrop Frye, critic
- September 12 - J. F. Hendry, poet
- November 24 - Garson Kanin, dramatist and screenwriter
- November 26 - Eugène Ionesco, playwright (d. 1994)
- date unknown - George Mikes, humorist
- date unknown - Monica Edwards, children's author
- date unknown - Francis Durbridge, dramatist
Deaths
- January 28 - Gustave de Molinari, economist
- March 1 - George Grossmith, co-author of Diary of a Nobody
- April 10 - Gabriel Monod, historian
- April 15 – Jacques Futrelle, American author, died on the RMS Titanic
- April 15 - William Thomas Stead, journalist, also on the Titanic
- April 20 - Bram Stoker, author
- May 14 - August Strindberg, dramatist
- July 20 - Andrew Lang, poet, novelist and critic
- August 29 - Theodor Gomperz, philosopher
- date unknown - James Allen, author of As a Man Thinketh
- date unknown - Hafiz Ibrahim, Egyptian poet
Awards
