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Chicago Authors
Chicago Authors

Chicago Authors Index

From the time when Chicago was a mere notion of a city until now, writers have lived and thrived here. At least in part because of here. While Chicago is rightly celebrated for several particularly prosperous literary eras, the truth is that important, productive authors have always been here—some for longer than others. The contemporary crop of writers is arguably the best ensemble in our city’s history. Taken together, Chicago writers, living and dead, comprise a heritage that has helped shape and reflect who we are and how the outside world sees us.

A Chicago author, for the purposes of this index, is anybody who has both a clear relationship to the city and a clear trail of publications. This index is not comprehensive—not close. This is just the start. We mean to regularly update the list and to honor all legitimate suggestions. (Send us names of missing writers, as well as missing information, like birth dates or current website addresses). Over time, we intend to expand the content, but for now our goal is to account for all the writers that belong to Chicago’s literary community.

Chris Abani

December 27, 1966–

Robert Sengstacke Abbott

November 24, 1868–February 29, 1940

Mark Adams

November 22, 1967-–

Jane Addams

September 6, 1860–May 21, 1935

George Ade

February 9, 1866–May 16, 1944

Samira Ahmed

April, 1971–

Alaa al-Aswany

May 27, 1957–

Elizabeth Alexander

May 30, 1962–

Nelson Algren

March 28, 1909–May 9, 1981

Saul Alinsky

January 30, 1909–June 12, 1972

Steve Allen

December 26, 1921–October 30, 2000

Michael Anania

August 5, 1939–

Margaret Anderson

Nov. 24, 1886–Oct. 18, 1973

Sherwood Anderson

September 13, 1876–March 8, 1941

Rey Andujar

1977–

Carol Anshaw

March 22, 1946–

Rane Arroyo

November 15, 1954–May 7, 2010

William Attaway

November 19, 1911–June 17, 1986

William Ayers

December 26, 1944–

Ray Stannard Baker

April 17, 1870–July 12, 1946

Edwin Balmer

July 26, 1883–March 21, 1959

Ann Bannon

September 15, 1932–

Margaret Ayer Barnes

April 8, 1886–October 25, 1967

Lynda Barry

January 2, 1956–

Ann Barzel

December 13, 1905–February 12, 2007

L. Frank Baum

May 15, 1856–May 6, 1919

Saul Bellow

June 10, 1915–April 5, 2005

Raymond Benson

September 6, 1955–

Ira Berkow

January 7, 1940-–

Mary Healy Bigot

December 8, 1843–July 10, 1936

Eula Biss

August 9, 1977–

Timuel D. Black

Dec. 7, 1918–October 13, 2021

Nora Brooks Blakely

September 8, 1951-–

Eleanor Taylor Bland

December 31, 1944–June 2, 2010

Douglas Blazek

December 31, 1941–

Norbert Blei

August 23, 1935–April 23, 2013

Maxwell Bodenheim

May 26, 1892–February 6, 1954

Marita Bonner

June 16, 1898–December 6, 1971

Arna Bontemps

October 13, 1902–June 4, 1973

Robert Boone

January 18, 1941-–

Barrie Jean Borich

April 26, 1959–

Marianne Boruch

June 19, 1950–

Ray Bradbury

August 22, 1920–June 5, 2012

William Brashler

August 11, 1947–

Stuart Brent

April 8, 1912–June 24, 2010

Gwendolyn Brooks

June 7, 1917–December 3, 2000

Oscar Brown Jr.

October 10, 1926–May 29, 2005

Frank London Brown

October 7, 1927–March 12, 1962

Rosellen Brown

May 12, 1939–

Alice C. Browning

November 5, 1907–October 15, 1985

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