Literature has influenced the world greatly and has many times even changed it or the better. However, there have also been times where a few works of literature have resulted in wars, conflicts, controversies and has even divided people based on ideologies. Legendary writers like Ernest Hemmingway, Pablo Neruda, T.S Elliott, William Faulkner, Herman Hasse and Rabindranath Tagore have bagged the Nobel Prize for literature in the past. Ernest Hemmingway was honored with the prestigious prize in 1954. This noted novelist and writer from the United States has penned several path breaking literary works like ‘A Farewell To Arms’, ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’, ‘The Sun Also Rises’ and ‘The Old Man And The Sea’. Hemmingway has also penned several short stories as well. T.S Elliot was considered one of the best poets of the 20th century. Many works of these individuals are famous worldwide and some of their novels have also been the inspiration behind blockbuster flicks.

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 1 

Bob Dylan

(One of the Greatest Songwriters of All Time)

Birthdate: May 24, 1941

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Duluth, Minnesota, United States

Singer-songwriter and author, Bob Dylan, is widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Active in the music industry for almost six decades, he is a major pop culture icon who introduced a range of political, social, and literary influences to pop music. He is a Nobel laureate and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 2 

Ernest Hemingway

(American Literary Icon Who Was Known for His Straightforward Prose & Use of Understatement)

Birthdate: July 21, 1899

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, United States

Died: July 2, 1961

Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist and short-story writer who had a strong impact on 20th-century fiction. He published seven novels and six short-story collections and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea are some of his classic works. He ended his own life in July 1961.

Birthdate: December 30, 1865

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Mumbai, India

Died: January 18, 1936

English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist Rudyard Kipling is best remembered for his fiction work The Jungle Book. He was born in India and many of his works are inspired by his life in the country. He was one of the most popular English writers in the late 19th and early 20th century.

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Birthdate: November 7, 1913

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Drean, Algeria

Died: January 4, 1960

Albert Camus was a French philosopher and the second-youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. His philosophical views contributed to the rise of absurdism, a philosophical concept. Also a prolific writer, Albert Camus had an illustrious literary career; most of his philosophical essays and novels are still influential.

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Birthdate: May 7, 1861

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Died: August 7, 1941

Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian polymath who contributed greatly to the fields of literature, art, and philosophy. Referred to as the Bard of Bengal, Tagore is credited with reshaping Bengali literature and music. The first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, Tagore is also credited with composing the national anthems of India and Bangladesh.

 6 

William Faulkner

(Regarded as One of the Most Significant American Writers of All Time)

Birthdate: September 25, 1897

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: New Albany, Mississippi, United States

Died: July 6, 1962

Nobel Prize-winning Southern author William Faulkner is remembered for works The Sound and the Fury, A Rose for Emily, and As I Lay Dying. He immortalized Mississippi as the fictional "Yoknapatawpha County" in his works. He also won two Pulitzers, one each for A Fable and The Reivers.

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 7 

W B Yeats

(One of the Greatest English-Language Poets of the 20th Century and 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature Winner)

Birthdate: June 13, 1865

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Sandymount, Ireland

Died: January 28, 1939

Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet, playwright, and prose writer W. B. Yeats is remembered as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century. Known for works such as The Tower, he also helped establish the Abbey Theatre. An occult enthusiast, he was also part of The Ghost Club.

Birthdate: February 18, 1931

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Lorain, Ohio

Died: August 5, 2019

Author, editor, and Princeton professor Toni Morrison is best remembered for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved, part of a trilogy. Some of her other notable works include The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon. She received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature. She also wrote several children’s books and plays.

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 9 

Samuel Beckett

(Irish Novelist Who Won the 1969 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: April 13, 1906

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Foxrock, Ireland

Died: December 22, 1989

Samuel Beckett was a legendary Nobel Prize-winning Irish postmodernist and minimalist playwright and author, regarded as a prominent figure of the "Theatre of the Absurd.” He is best known for the play Waiting for Godot and for his tragi-comic themes and black comedy. He was also the Saoi of Aosdána.

Birthdate: December 11, 1918

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Kislovodsk, Russia

Died: August 3, 2008

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist, philosopher, historian, and political prisoner. An outspoken critic of Communism and the Soviet Union, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn helped raise awareness of the Gulag, a government agency that oversaw forced labor camps set up in accordance with Vladimir Lenin's order. His non-fiction text The Gulag Archipelago was a highly influential work and sold millions of copies.

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Birthdate: July 12, 1904

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Parral, Chile

Died: September 23, 1973

Chilean poet-diplomat and politician, Pablo Neruda, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. He was a versatile writer and his works include surrealist poems, historical epics, political manifestos, and love poems. He is considered the national poet of Chile. As a politician, he served a term as a senator for the Chilean Communist Party and held several diplomatic positions.

 12 

Eugene O'Neill

(American Playwright and Winner of the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: October 16, 1888

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States

Died: November 27, 1953

Eugene O'Neill was an American playwright whose works earned him several prestigious awards, including four Pulitzer Prizes for Drama and the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature. His play Long Day's Journey into Night is frequently named among the 20th century's finest American plays. In the 1981 film Reds, Eugene O'Neill is played by actor Jack Nicholson.

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 13 

Hermann Hesse

(Poet, Novelist & Painter Who Won the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: July 2, 1877

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Calw, Germany

Died: August 9, 1962

German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter Hermann Hesse received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. He explored individuals’ search for authenticity, self-knowledge, and spirituality in his works. An intense and headstrong person from childhood, he developed an early interest in reading. He started writing as a young man and became an influential author in the German-speaking world. 

Birthdate: September 19, 1911

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Newquay

Died: June 19, 1993

William Golding was a British playwright, novelist, and poet whose novel Rites of Passage earned him the Booker Prize in 1980. In 1983, Golding was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1988, William Golding was knighted for his contributions to literature. In 2008, he was mentioned in The Times' list of 50 greatest British writers since 1945. 

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 15 

Seamus Heaney

(Poet, Playwright & Translator Who Received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: April 13, 1939

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Castledawson, Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Died: August 30, 2013

Seamus Heaney was an Irish poet, translator, and playwright. One of the most respected poets of his generation, Heaney was honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. He also won other prestigious awards, such as the Eric Gregory Award. Several years after his death, Seamus Heaney is still considered one of the main contributors to poetry in Ireland.

Birthdate: October 10, 1930

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Metropolitan Borough of Hackney

Died: December 24, 2008

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 17 

V. S. Naipaul

(Trinidadian-Born British Writer Who Won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001)

Birthdate: August 17, 1932

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Trinidad and Tobago

Died: August 11, 2018

Born to Indian descendants in Trinidad, V. S. Naipaul grew up to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The author of iconic novels such as Half a Life and A House for Mr. Biswas, Naipaul was also knighted. His realistic depiction of developing countries and their miseries won hearts worldwide.

Birthdate: October 22, 1919

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Kermanshah, Iran

Died: November 17, 2013

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Birthdate: July 13, 1934

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Abeokuta

Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, poet, and essayist. In 1986, he became the first sub-Saharan African to be honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature. As a young man, he worked with the Royal Court Theatre in London. In Nigeria, he was actively involved in the country’s freedom struggle. He has taught at various international universities.

Birthdate: June 10, 1915

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Lachine, Montreal, Canada

Died: April 5, 2005

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 21 

Pearl Buck

(Winner of the 1938 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: June 26, 1892

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Hillsboro

Died: March 6, 1973

Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Pearl Buck was raised in China by her missionary parents. She grew up to teach English literature in Chinese universities and later penned books such as East Wind, West Wind and The Good Earth, which were based on her experiences in China.

 22 

Mario Vargas Llosa

(Latin America's Most Significant Novelist and Essayist and Winner of 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: March 28, 1936

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Arequipa, Peru

In March 2020, Chinese e-book platforms virtually banned Nobel Prize-winning Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa after he suggested that China was largely responsible for the origin of the COVID-19 virus. One of Latin American’s most respected authors, he has penned bestsellers such as The Feast of the Goat.

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 23 

Alice Munro

(Canadian Short Story Writer and Winner of 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: July 10, 1931

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Wingham, Canada

Her mother’s struggle with Parkinson's disease pushed Alice Munro into reading as an escape route. Munro later became a housewife, but soon soared to fame for her short story collections such as Too Much Happiness. The Canadian author later won the Nobel Prize and the Man Booker Prize, too.

Birthdate: February 7, 1885

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Sauk Centre

Died: January 10, 1951

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 25 

Henri Bergson

(French Philosopher and Winner of the 1927 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: October 18, 1859

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: January 4, 1941

French philosopher, Henri Bergson, is remembered for his contribution to the tradition of continental philosophy. His works were considered extremely influential,  especially during the first half of the 20th century. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature (1927) and  Grand-Croix de la Legion d'honneur (1930). He was a simple man who led a humble life despite his great achievements.

Birthdate: August 14, 1867

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Kingston upon Thames, England

Died: January 31, 1933

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 27 

Andre Gide

(French Author and Winner of the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: November 22, 1869

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: February 19, 1951

Nobel Prize-winning French author Andre Gide is remembered for exhibiting the conflict between sexuality and the puritanical standards of society through his works. Much of his work was autobiographical and used the confessional format. A homosexual himself, he defended homosexuality through works such as Corydon.

 28 

Derek Walcott

(Saint Lucian Poet, Playwright, and Winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: January 23, 1930

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Castries, Saint Lucia

Died: March 17, 2017

Derek Walcott was a Saint Lucian playwright and poet who was honored with the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was also the recipient of several literary awards like Obie Award, Royal Society of Literature Award, OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, and Queen's Medal for Poetry. In 2016, he was made Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia.

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 29 

Orhan Pamuk

(Turkish Novelist and Recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: June 7, 1952

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey

Orhan Pamuk is a Turkish novelist, screenwriter, and academic. He is the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. One of the best-known writers from Turkey, he has sold over 13 million books in 63 languages. He began writing in the 1970s and is the author of several novels and non-fiction works in both English and Turkish. 

 30 

J. M. Coetzee

(South African-Australian Writer and Recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: February 9, 1940

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Cape Town, South Africa

Nobel Prize- and two-time Booker Prize-winning author J. M. Coetzee had started his career as a Fulbright scholar. After teaching English in the U.S. and South Africa, he now lives and teaches in Australia. He is best known for his colonial settings in novels such as Waiting for the Barbarians.

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 31 

José Saramago

(Portuguese Writer and Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998)

Birthdate: November 16, 1922

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Azinhaga, Portugal

Died: June 18, 2010

José Saramago was a Portuguese writer who was honored with the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature. Saramago's books have sold more than two million copies in Portugal alone and have been translated into 25 languages. Among other awards, Saramago has also been honored with the Camões Prize and America Award. He is also credited with establishing the José Saramago Foundation.

 32 

Luigi Pirandello

(Italian Playwright and Novelist & Winner of 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: June 28, 1867

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Agrigento, Italy

Died: December 10, 1936

Luigi Pirandello was an Italian novelist, short story writer, poet, and dramatist. Best remembered for his plays, Pirandello was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934. An Italian nationalist, Pirandello supported Fascism; he asked the Fascist government to melt down his Nobel Prize medal for the Abyssinia Campaign.

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Birthdate: December 11, 1911

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt

Died: August 30, 2006

Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz had previously worked in the Egyptian civil service. Initially a short story writer, he later wrote novels such as Al-Thulāthiyyah, or The Cairo Trilogy. His novel Children of the Alley was banned for its religious references and led him to be stabbed by Islamists.

 34 

Octavio Paz

(Writer, Poet, Diplomat and Noble Prize Laureate)

Birthdate: March 31, 1914

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico

Died: April 19, 1998

Born into a family of intellectuals, Nobel Prize-winning Mexican poet Octavio Paz had been introduced to literature through his grandfather’s library. Apart from poetry, he had also written essays on art, politics, and culture. As a Mexican diplomat, he had been to countries such as India and France.

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Birthdate: April 16, 1844

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: October 12, 1924

Anatole France was a French poet, novelist, and journalist. Renowned for writing many best-sellers, Anatole France was one of the most respected French writers of his generation. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1921 for his brilliant literary achievements.

 36 

Günter Grass

(German Novelist & Nobel Prize Laureate, Best Known for His 1959 Novel, 'The Tin Drum')

Birthdate: October 16, 1927

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Free City of Danzig, Poland

Died: April 13, 2015

Günter Grass was a German novelist, illustrator, graphic artist, poet, playwright, and sculptor. A much revered and decorated writer, Grass was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999. Over the course of his illustrious career, Günter Grass won many other awards, including the Georg Büchner Prize and the Hermann Kesten Prize.

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Birthdate: November 20, 1923

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Transvaal, South Africa

Died: July 13, 2014

Nadine Gordimer was a South African political activist and writer. Gordimer, who wrote extensively on racial and moral issues such as apartheid in South Africa, was honored with the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature. An important member of the anti-apartheid movement, Nadine Gordimer's advice to Nelson Mandela led to his famous 1964 defense speech, which eventually led to his conviction.

 38 

Peter Handke

(One of the Most Influential and Original German-Language Writers Known for His Work 'Offending the Audience')

Birthdate: December 6, 1942

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Griffen, Austria

Peter Handke is an Austrian novelist, poet, translator, playwright, screenwriter, and film director. One of the most respected personalities in Austria, Handke has won several prestigious awards over the course of his career. In 1973, he was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize. In 1987, he won the Vilenica International Literary Prize. In 2019, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

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Birthdate: November 21, 1902

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Leoncin, Congress Poland

Died: July 24, 1991

Nobel Prize-winning Polish-American author Isaac Bashevis Singer is best remembered for his short stories and novels that mirrored Jewish life with a tinge of irony. Born into a family of rabbis, he got a traditional education and later became a journalist. His works include the iconic novel The Family Moskat.

 40 

Dario Fo

(Winner of 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: March 24, 1926

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Sangiano, Italy

Died: October 13, 2016

Nobel Prize-winning Italian playwright Dario Fo, best remembered for the play Mistero Buffo, donned many hats and made his presence felt as an actor, stage director and designer, and painter. He and his wife, actor Franca Rame, did everything from writing sketches for the show Canzonissima to founding theater companies.

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Birthdate: April 7, 1889

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Vicuña, Chile

Died: January 10, 1957

Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet and educator Lucila Godoy Alcayaga was better known by her pseudonym, Gabriela Mistral. The suicide of her first love inspired her poem Dolor. Her diplomatic assignments later took her to places such as Madrid and Lisbon. She is remembered for her emotional verses and her feminism.

 42 

Joseph Brodsky

(Poet, Essayist and Winner of 1987 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: May 24, 1940

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: January 28, 1996

Nobel Prize-winning Russian-American poet Joseph Brodsky is remembered for his elegiac and lyric poems. While he had started writing poems soon after leaving school, he was sentenced to hard labor by the Soviets for his irregular work record. He later moved to the U.S., where he taught at various universities.

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 43 

Knut Hamsun

(One of the Most Influential Norwegian Writers & Winner of the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature.)

Birthdate: August 4, 1859

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Lom Municipality, Norway

Died: February 19, 1952

Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, a leading figure of neo-romanticism, is best remembered for his novel Hunger, which narrated the tale of a starving writer. With little education, he had started his career as a shoemaker’s apprentice. He supported the Nazi occupation of Norway and was later imprisoned.

 44 

Yasunari Kawabata

(Novelist)

Birthdate: June 11, 1899

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Osaka

Died: April 16, 1972

Yasunari Kawabata was a Japanese short story writer and novelist whose subtly-shaded prose works earned him the 1968 Nobel Prize for Literature, making him the first Japanese writer to receive the prestigious award. Yasunari Kawabata played a major role in the translation of Japanese literature into several Western languages including English. His works are still read all over the world. 

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 45 

Henryk Sienkiewicz

(Polish Writer Who Won the '1905 Nobel Prize in Literature')

Birthdate: May 5, 1846

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Wola Okrzejska, Poland

Died: November 15, 1916

Henryk Sienkiewicz was a Polish journalist and novelist best remembered for his historical novels. He was the author of the internationally known best-seller Quo Vadis. Beginning his career as a journalist, he soon became one of the most popular Polish authors of his era. He was awarded the 1905 Nobel Prize in Literature for his contribution to literature. 

 46 

Selma Lagerlöf

(First Woman to Win the Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: November 20, 1858

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Mårbacka, Värmland, Sweden

Died: March 16, 1940

Selma Lagerlöf was a Swedish teacher and author. In 1909, Lagerlöf became the first woman to receive the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1914, she became the first woman to be elected as a member by the Swedish Academy. In 1991, Selma Lagerlöf was depicted on a Swedish banknote, becoming the first woman to enjoy this honor, albiet posthumously.

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 47 

Ivo Andric

(Novelist, Poet & Short Story Writer Who Won the 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: October 9, 1892

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Dolac, Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Died: March 13, 1975

Ivo Andric was a Yugoslav short story writer, poet, and novelist. Andric won the 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature after the Nobel Committee chose him over writers like Robert Frost, E. M. Forster, John Steinbeck, and J. R. R. Tolkien. After receiving the award, Andric's works were translated into several languages as they found an international audience.

Birthdate: June 30, 1911

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Šeteniai, Lithuania

Died: August 14, 2004

Nobel Prize-winning Polish-American poet Czesław Miłosz, known for the iconic Poem of Frozen Time, had made a lucky escape during the German invasion of Poland but had gone back using fake documents to be with his wife, Janina. He later became a Polish diplomat and also taught in the US.

 49 

Kenzaburō Ōe

(A Major Figure in Contemporary Japanese Literature and Winner of 1994 Nobel Prize in Literature )

Birthdate: January 31, 1935

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Ōse, Ehime, Japan

Kenzaburō Ōe is a Japanese writer whose essays, short stories, and novels deal with social, philosophical, and political issues such as nuclear power, nuclear weapons, existentialism, and social non-conformism. An influential personality in contemporary Japanese literature, Kenzaburō Ōe was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1994 for his works.

 50 

Mo Yan

(Novelist & Short Story Writer)

Birthdate: February 17, 1955

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Gaomi, Shandong, China

Nobel Prize-winning Chinese author Mo Yan is best known for his novel Red Sorghum Family, which was later made into a film. His novel Big Breasts and Wide Hips was dragged into controversy for its sexual content, and the Communist Party made Yan withdraw the book from publication.