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Top 10 most popular British writers

Sometimes when I realize just how many books there are out there that I want to read, it can feel a little overwhelming! But, something that helps when picking out a new book is to break it down by the author. Reading all of one author’s works is a great goal to have and can help keep your reading on track.

But, which author to choose?! That’s where this handy list comes in. Below, I’ve chosen 10 of the most popular British writers. Now, this list could have been the top 100 writers, but for the sake of time, I’ve broken it down to just 10 to get you started.

1. William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare by John Taylor – WikiCommons

A list of the top 10 most popular British writers just wouldn’t be complete without a shout out to the Bard! William Shakespeare is hands down one of the most famous British authors to ever live, and his works deserve all of the attention that they get.

Shakespeare was an actor and playwright in London in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His plays have been performed for nearly 500 years, and continue to be read and studied today! He was such a prolific writer that over 1,500 words and phrases that the Bard himself coined are still in use in the English language today.

Start with: Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth

2. Jane Austen

A colorized version of an engraved depiction of Jane Austen – WikiCommons

Jane Austen was a British writer who lived and worked in England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At the time, women just didn’t become writers (they weren’t expected to work at all) and thus Austen published all of her works anonymously. Most of her novels are focused on the lives of upper and middle-class women and their families, the focus on marriage as the only option for women at the time, and are filled with romance and humor. Austen also happens to be one of my all-time favorites!

Start with: Pride and Prejudice and Emma

3. Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens by Rischgitz circa the 1860s – WikiCommons

Charles Dickens is another world-famous British writer. Author of classics such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, Dickens is a household name all over the world. He lived and worked in Victorian England in the 19th century. Most of his books told a story as well as served as a criticism of social conditions in Europe at the time. Unlike many writers, Dickens enjoyed fame and fortune during his lifetime.

Start with: A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, and A Tale of Two Cities

4. J. R. R. Tolkien

Known by many as the man who invented the fantasy genre, J. R. R. Tolkien is another popular British writer you should add to your reading lists! Tolkien lived and worked in the early 20th century, and is the author of the famous, now turned into a movie series, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s books can be intimidating solely due to their length, but trust me, it’s worth it! You can’t help but be impressed by the intricate worlds that Tolkien creates.

Start with: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

5. Brontë Sisters

Excerpt of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë with illustrations – WikiCommons

Charlotte Brontë is the most famous of this group of literary sisters, but I think that they all deserve a place on this list of top 10 popular British writers! The sisters lived and worked in the 19th century and were basically brought up to become authors. Their father encouraged the girls to write and master their craft. Like Austen, because they were women, they used pseudonyms to publish their work. Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Brontë wrote on isolation, women’s place in society in the 19th century, and the British countryside. Charlotte is most famous for the classic Jane Eyre, Emily for Wuthering Heights, and Anne for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

Start with: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

6. Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe by Unknown, style of Sir Godfrey Kneller – WikiCommons

Daniel Defoe lived and worked in the 17th and 18th centuries in England. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, the tale of a man stranded on a desert island. The tale has been rewritten and transformed into television shows and movies, and is a true classic. Defoe is also considered to be one of the first writers to pen a novel and thus made this style of book popular among the British. In addition to Robinson Crusoe, Defoe wrote over 500 pieces over his lifetime.

Start with: Robinson Crusoe

7. George Eliot

First edition title page of Middlemarch, 1871 – WikiCommons

George Eliot, otherwise known as Mary Ann Evans, is another female author who was forced to hide behind a male pseudonym. In the 19the century, women writers were expected to only write romance novels, but Evans wanted to be taken seriously, which is why she chose the name George Eliot as her pen name. Her plan worked as thanks to the success of her most famous work, Middlemarch, she gained respect for her insight and intelligence. The novel was recently voted the greatest British novel of all time by the BBC!

Start with: Middlemarch

8. C.S. Lewis

C.S Lewis plaque -by MartinRobinson- Wikimedia Commons

C.S. Lewis was an academic who is most well-known for his fictional fantasy books aimed at children. I remember the first time that I read The Chronicles of Narnia as a kid – I was instantly hooked! Lewis and Tolkien were good friends, working and living in England in the 20th century, which isn’t surprising. I wonder if they ever brainstormed together to come up with their impressive fantasy worlds!

Start with: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

9. Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf in 1927 – WikiCommons

Virginia Woolf was a leading modernist writer in the 20th century. She is most well-known for her use of stream of consciousness in her works. She is often referenced in feminist studies as well, thanks to her involvement in early feminist movements in the 1920s. Her essay, A Room of One’s Own includes the famous line, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” Such a line might not seem that important now, but trust me, in the early 20th century, it was groundbreaking.

Start with: Mrs. Dalloway, A Room of One’s Own, and Orlando

10. George Orwell

Early 1960s paperback cover of George Orwell’s 1984 by Chris Protopapas – Flickr

If you’re into dystopian fiction, you’re going to love George Orwell. You may have heard of him thanks to his well-known novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. “Big Brother is watching” ring any bells? Well, you’ll find that line many times over in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Most of Orwell’s works focus on social injustice and what can happen in a totalitarian society.

Start with: Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm

Conclusion

I hope you’ve been taking notes because you have a lot of titles to add to your reading lists! There are so many impressive British writers out there that it was extremely difficult for me to narrow them down to a list of 10, but I think that the author’s above are a great start!

If you’re in London and you want to learn more about the famous British writers that lived and worked there, I suggest that you join one of our walking tours with our knowledgable local guides. Click here to learn more and to make your booking!