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.
December 27, 1966–
November 24, 1868–February 29, 1940
November 22, 1967-–
September 6, 1860–May 21, 1935
February 9, 1866–May 16, 1944
April, 1971–
May 27, 1957–
May 30, 1962–
March 28, 1909–May 9, 1981
January 30, 1909–June 12, 1972
1962–
December 26, 1921–October 30, 2000
August 5, 1939–
Nov. 24, 1886–Oct. 18, 1973
September 13, 1876–March 8, 1941
1977–
March 22, 1946–
November 15, 1954–May 7, 2010
November 19, 1911–June 17, 1986
December 26, 1944–
April 17, 1870–July 12, 1946
July 26, 1883–March 21, 1959
September 15, 1932–
April 8, 1886–October 25, 1967
January 2, 1956–
December 13, 1905–February 12, 2007
May 15, 1856–May 6, 1919
June 10, 1915–April 5, 2005
September 6, 1955–
January 7, 1940-–
December 8, 1843–July 10, 1936
August 9, 1977–
Dec. 7, 1918–October 13, 2021
September 8, 1951-–
December 31, 1944–June 2, 2010
December 31, 1941–
August 23, 1935–April 23, 2013
May 26, 1892–February 6, 1954
June 16, 1898–December 6, 1971
October 13, 1902–June 4, 1973
January 18, 1941-–
April 26, 1959–
June 19, 1950–
August 22, 1920–June 5, 2012
April 14, 1968-–
August 11, 1947–
April 8, 1912–June 24, 2010
June 7, 1917–December 3, 2000
October 10, 1926–May 29, 2005
October 7, 1927–March 12, 1962
Literary Chicago
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Chicago Literary Hall of Fame
Email: Don Evans
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Chicago, IL 60613
773.414.2603
