2008 in literature

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This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2008.

Events[edit]

January 1 – In the UK's 2008 New Year Honours List, Hanif Kureishi (CBE), Jenny Uglow (OBE), Peter Vansittart (OBE) and Debjani Chatterjee (MBE) are all rewarded for "services to literature."
February 29 – Belgian-born "Misha Defonseca" admits that her bestselling Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years (1997) is a literary forgery.
April – Signet Books announce they will cease to publish the American historical romance novelist Cassie Edwards after a dispute over plagiarism.
April 25 – The first Twitter novel, Small Places by Nicholas Belardes, is launched.^[1]
May 7–11 – The first Palestine Festival of Literature is held.
June 15 – Gore Vidal, asked in a New York Times interview how he felt about the death of his rival William F. Buckley, Jr., replies: "I thought hell is bound to be a livelier place, as he joins forever those whom he served in life, applauding their prejudices and fanning their hatred."
July – Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children (1981) is the winner of a poll to select the "Best of the Booker".

New books[edit]

Poetry[edit]

Non-fiction[edit]

The Academi – Encyclopaedia of Wales (Gwyddoniadur Cymru) (January)
Julie Andrews – Home: A Memoir of My Early Years (April 1)
Kwame Anthony Appiah – Experiments in Ethics
Dan Ariely – Predictably Irrational (February 19)
Margaret Atwood – Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth (October 1)
Mary Beard – Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town
Dionne Brand – A Kind of Perfect Speech (Ralph Gustafson Lecture)
Augusten Burroughs – A Wolf at the Table (April 29)
Michael Chabon – Maps and Legends (May 1)
D. K. Chakrabarti – The Battle for Ancient India: An essay in the sociopolitics of Indian archaeology
Sloane Crosley – I Was Told There'd Be Cake (April 1)
John Duignan – The Complex: An Insider Exposes the Covert World of the Church of Scientology (October 7)
Eminem – The Way I Am (October 21)
Richard Florida – Who's Your City? (March)
Raymond Geuss – Philosophy and Real Politics
Philip Hoare – Leviathan, or The Whale (September 16)
Jim Holt – Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes
Chloe Hooper – The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island
B. B. Lal – Rāma, His Historicity, Mandir, and Setu: Evidence of Literature, Archaeology, and Other Sciences
Thomas Cairns Livingstone – Tommy's War: A First World War Diary 1913–1918
Minae Mizumura – The Fall of Language in the Age of English
Scholastique Mukasonga – La femme aux pieds nus (The Barefoot Woman)
Haruki Murakami (translated by Philip Gabriel) – What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (July 29)
Shuja Nawaz – Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the Wars Within
Frances Osborne – The Bolter: Idina Sackville
Chris Pash – The Last Whale
Peter Rees – The Other ANZACs
David Sedaris – When You Are Engulfed in Flames (June 3)
Vaclav Smil – Energy in Nature and Society: General Energetics of Complex Systems
Chunghee Sarah Soh – The Comfort Women: Sexual Violence and Postcolonial Memory in Korea and Japan
Kate Summerscale – The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, or The Murder at Road Hill House (April)
Ronnie Thompson (pseudonym) – Screwed: The Truth About Life as a Prison Officer (January 24)
Bjørn Christian Tørrissen – One for the Road (January 31; translation of I pose og sekk!, 2005)
Barbara Walters – Audition: A Memoir (May 6)
Russell Wangersky – Burning Down the House: Fighting Fires and Losing Myself^[10]
Meralda Warren and others – Mi Base side orn Pitcairn (My Favourite Place on Pitcairn, first book published in Pitkern creole)
Dagmar S. Wodtko, Britta Irslinger and Carolin Schneider (eds.) – Nomina im Indogermanischen Lexikon

Deaths[edit]

January 2 – George MacDonald Fraser, Scottish novelist and screenplay writer (born 1925)
January 3 – Henri Chopin, French poet (born 1922)^[11]
January 11 – Nancy Phelan, Australian writer (born 1913)
January 13 – Patricia Verdugo, Chilean journalist and writer (born 1947)
January 16 – Hone Tuwhare, New Zealand poet (born 1922)
January 17 – Edward D. Hoch, American detective fiction writer (born 1930)
January 26
- John Ardagh, Nyasaland-born English journalist and writer (born 1928)
- Abraham Brumberg, American writer and editor (born 1926)
January 29 – Margaret Truman, American crime novelist and singer (born 1924)
January 30 – Miles Kington, Northern Irish-born English journalist and writer (born 1941)

February 4 – Rose Hacker, English writer and journalist (born 1906)
February 7 – Richard Altick, American literary historian (born 1915)
February 8 – Phyllis A. Whitney, Japan-born American mystery writer (born 1903)
February 10 – Steve Gerber, American comic book writer (born 1947)
February 18 – Alain Robbe-Grillet, French novelist (born 1922)^[12]
February 21
- Archie Hind, Scottish novelist (born 1928)
- Robin Moore, American novelist and memoirist (born 1925)
February 22 – Stephen Marlowe, American science fiction and crime writer (born 1928)
February 28 – Julian Rathbone, English novelist (born 1935)^[13]
February 29 – Val Plumwood (Val Routley), Australian philosopher (born 1939)

March 16 – Jonathan Williams, American poet (born 1929)
March 19
- Arthur C. Clarke, English science fiction writer and futurologist (born 1917)
- Hugo Claus, Belgian writer in Flemish and English (born 1929)^[14]
March 23 – E. A. Markham, Montserrat poet, writer and activist (born 1939)
April 3 – Andrew Crozier, English poet and scholar (born 1943)
April 7 – Ludu Daw Amar, Burmese writer and journalist (born 1915)
April 13 – Robert Greacen, Irish poet (born 1920)
April 17
- Aimé Césaire, Martinique poet and writer in French (born 1913)
- Zoya Krakhmalnikova, Russian writer and editor (born 1929)
April 18
- Michael de Larrabeiti, English young-adult novelist and travel writer (born 1934)
- William W. Warner, American biologist and Pulitzer Prize writer (born 1920)
May 1 – Elaine Dundy, American novelist, biographer and playwright (born 1921)
May 9 – Nuala O'Faolain, Irish critic and writer (born 1940)
May 11 – Jeff Torrington, Scottish novelist (born 1935)
May 12 – Oakley Hall, American novelist (born 1920)
May 14 – Roy Heath, Guyanese novelist (born 1926)
May 15 – Muhyi al-Din Faris, Sudanese poet (born 1936)^[15]
May 19 – Vijay Tendulkar, Indian playwright (born 1928)
May 22 – Robert Asprin, American science fiction writer (born 1946)^[16]^[17]
May 23 – Alan Brien, English journalist and novelist (born 1925)
May 28 – Elinor Lyon, British children's writer (born 1921)

June 2 – Ferenc Fejtő, Hungarian-born French historian and journalist (born 1909)
June 4 – Matthew Bruccoli, American biographer and scholar (born 1931)
June 5 – Angus Calder, British writer and scholar (born 1942)
June 8 – Peter Rühmkorf, German poet and writer (born 1929)
June 9 – Algis Budrys (John A. Sentry), American science fiction writer of Lithuanian origin (born 1931)^[18]
June 10
- Chinghiz Aitmatov, Kyrgyz writer in Kyrgyz and Russian (born 1928)^[19]
- Eliot Asinof, American novelist and baseball writer (born 1919)^[20]
June 16 – Mario Rigoni Stern, Italian novelist (born 1921)
June 18 – Tasha Tudor, American children's writer and illustrator (born 1915)
June 22 – Albert Cossery, Egyptian-born French novelist (born 1913)
June 24 – Ruth Cardoso, Brazilian anthropologist and writer (born 1930)
June 25 – Lyall Watson, South African scientist and new age writer (born 1939)
June 27 – Lenka Reinerová, Czech writer in German (born 1916)

July 1
- Clay Felker, American magazine editor and journalist (born 1925)
- Robert Harling, English typographer and novelist (born 1910)
July 2 – Simone Ortega, Spanish cookery writer (born 1919)
July 4
- Thomas M. Disch, American science fiction author and poet. (born 1940)
- Janwillem van de Wetering, Dutch novelist and writer in Dutch and English (born 1931)
July 20 – Roger Wolcott Hall, American memoirist and novelist (born 1919)
July 27 – Bob Crampsey, Scottish writer (born 1930)
July 30 – Peter Coke, English playwright (born 1913)

August 3 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian writer and Nobel laureate (born 1918)^[21]
August 7 – Simon Gray, English playwright and memoirist (born 1936)
August 9 – Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet (born 1942)
August 11 – George Furth, American playwright (born 1932)
August 17 – Dave Freeman, American writer and advertising executive (born 1961)
August 23 – John Russell, English art critic (born 1919)
August 25 – Ahmed Faraz (Syed Akhmad Shah), Pakistani poet in Urdu (born 1931)
August 31 – Ken Campbell, English novelist and playwright (born 1941)

September 5 – Robert Giroux, American editor and publisher (born 1914)
September 7 – Gregory Mcdonald, American mystery writer (born 1937)
September 12 – David Foster Wallace, American novelist (born 1962)^[22]
September 17 – James Crumley, American crime writer (born 1939)^[23]
September 20 – Duncan Glen, Scottish poet, critic and literary historian (born 1933)
September 23 – William Woodruff, English historian and autobiographer (born 1916)
September 24 – Bengt Anderberg, Swedish poet, novelist and children's writer (born 1920)
September 29 – Hayden Carruth, American poet and literary critic (born 1921)
October 4 – Peter Vansittart, English novelist and historical writer (born 1920)
October 14 – Barrington J. Bayley, English science fiction writer (born 1937)
October 26 – Tony Hillerman, American mystery writer (born 1925)
October 27 – Es'kia Mphahlele, South African writer in English (born 1919)
October 29 – William Wharton (Albert William Du Aime), American novelist (born 1925)
October 31 – Studs Terkel, American historian and broadcaster (born 1912)
November 4 – Michael Crichton, American writer and scholar (born 1942)
November 13 – Jules Archer, American historian and author (born 1915)
November 14 – Kristin Hunter, American author and academic (born 1931)
December 1 – Dorothy Sterling, American non-fiction writer for children and historian (born 1913)^[24]
December 4 – Forrest J Ackerman, American magazine editor, science fiction writer, and literary agent (born 1916)^[25]
December 15 – Anne-Catharina Vestly, Norwegian children's book author (born 1920)^[26]
December 20 – Adrian Mitchell, English poet, playwright and fiction writer (born 1932)
December 24 – Harold Pinter, English playwright and screenwriter (born 1930)^[27]
December 31 – Donald E. Westlake, American novelist (born 1933)^[28]

Awards and honors[edit]

Camões Prize: João Ubaldo Ribeiro
Europe Theatre Prize: Patrice Chéreau
European Book Prize: Tony Judt, Postwar
International Dublin Literary Award: Rawi Hage, De Niro's Game
International Prize for Arabic Fiction: Bahaa Taher, Sunset Oasis
Nobel Prize in Literature: J. M. G. Le Clézio

Australia[edit]

Miles Franklin Award: Steven Carroll, The Time We Have Taken

Canada[edit]

Canada Reads: Paul Quarrington, King Leary
Dayne Ogilvie Prize: Main award, Zoe Whittall; honours of distinction, Brian Francis, John Miller.
Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction: Bruce Serafin, Stardust^[29]
Governor General's Awards: Multiple categories; see 2008 Governor General's Awards.
Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction: Taras Grescoe, Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood
Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize: Miriam Toews, The Flying Troutmans
Scotiabank Giller Prize: Joseph Boyden, Through Black Spruce
Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award: Michael Winter

Sweden[edit]

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award: Sonya Hartnett^[30]

United Kingdom[edit]

United States[edit]

Lambda Literary Awards: Multiple categories; see 2008 Lambda Literary Awards.
National Book Award for Fiction: to Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen
National Book Critics Circle Award: to 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
Newbery Medal for children's literature: Laura Amy Schlitz, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village^[32]
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction: Kate Christensen, The Great Man
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: Junot Diaz, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Whiting Awards:

Fiction: Mischa Berlinski, Laleh Khadivi, Manuel Muñoz, Benjamin Percy, Lysley Tenorio

Nonfiction: Donovan Hohn

Plays: Dael Orlandersmith

Poetry: Rick Hilles, Douglas Kearney, Julie Sheehan

Other[edit]

Premio de la Crítica de Galicia (category Ensayo y Pensamiento): Xurxo Borrazás, Arte e parte

Notes[edit]

Hahn, Daniel (2015). The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature (2nd ed.). Oxford. University Press. ISBN 9780198715542.

References[edit]

^ Nicholas Belardes. "Twitter Novel: Small Places". Nicholas Belardes. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^ Robins, Peter (August 9, 2008). "Review: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
^ Revue internationale Henry Bauchau n°1 - 2009: L'écriture à l'écoute (in French). Presses univ. de Louvain. 2008. p. 5. ISBN 978-2-87463-139-9.
^ Sihvonen, Lauri (September 24, 2008). "Lauri Sihvonen on Sofi Oksanen's novel: A Body and a Blowfly". FILI. Archived from the original on July 9, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
^ Steven P. Sondrup; Mark B. Sandberg; Thomas A. DuBois; Dan Ringgaard (December 15, 2017). Nordic Literature: A comparative history. Volume I: Spatial nodes. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 336. ISBN 978-90-272-6505-0.
^ Jenkins, Thomas E. (May 14, 2015). Antiquity Now: The Classical World in the Contemporary American Imagination. Cambridge University Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-521-19626-0.
^ Hahn 2015, p. 21
^ Hahn 2015, p. 73
^ Hahn 2015, p. 500
^ Faculty of Arts, 2009, Edna Staebler Award Archived June 6, 2014, at Archive-It, Wilfrid Laurier University, Previous winners, Russell Wangersky, Retrieved 11/16/2012
^ Acquaviva, Frédéric (February 5, 2008). "Obituary: Henri Chopin". the Guardian. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
^ Douglas Johnson (February 19, 2008). "Alain Robbe-Grillet obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
^ Nick Coleman (March 4, 2008). "Julian Rathbone". Guardian. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^ Douglas Messerli (May 2, 2008). "Hugo Claus". The Guardian. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
^ "وفاة الشاعر السوداني محيي الدين فارس". alyaum (in Arabic). May 18, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
^ "Trans World News Notice of Death". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ "SFScope Notice of Death from Natural Causes". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ Jensen, Trevor (June 11, 2008). "Tapped human side of science fiction". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
^ "KYRGYZSTAN: CHINGIZ AITMATOV, A MODERN HERO, DIES". EurasiaNet. June 11, 2008. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
^ Weber, Bruce (June 11, 2008). "Eliot Asinof, 'Eight Men Out' Author, Is Dead at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
^ Kaufman, Michael T; Barnard, Anne (August 4, 2008). "Solzhenitsyn, Literary Giant Who Defied Soviets, Dies at 89". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
^ Max, D. T. (2012). Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace. p. 301. ISBN 978-1-84708-494-1.
^ "Obituary: James Crumley". the Guardian. September 21, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
^ Staino, Rocco (January 5, 2009). "In Memoriam: Children's Authors and Illustrators Who Died in 2008". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
^ Carlson, Michael (December 7, 2008). "Forrest J Ackerman". The Guardian. London. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
^ Hedeman, Anders (December 15, 2008). "Anne-Cath. Vestly er død". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
^ Billington, Michael (January 1, 2009). "Goodnight, sweet prince: Shakespearean farewell to Pinter". The Guardian. London: GMG. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on March 26, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
^ The New York Times 2009-01-01.
^ Faculty of Arts, March 20, 2009, Edna Staebler Award Archived December 8, 2012, at archive.today, Wilfrid Laurier University Headlines (News Releases). Retrieved 11/27/2012
^ Hahn 2015, p. 653
^ Hahn 2015, p. 661
^ Hahn 2015, p. 658

Events[edit]

New books[edit]

Fiction[edit]

Genre fiction[edit]

Children and young people[edit]

Drama[edit]

Poetry[edit]

Non-fiction[edit]

Deaths[edit]

Awards and honors[edit]

Australia[edit]

Canada[edit]

Sweden[edit]

United Kingdom[edit]

United States[edit]

Other[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

See also[edit]