Find out more about the greatest 16th Century Writers, including William Shakespeare, James VI and I, Niccolò Machiavelli, Walter Raleigh and John Dee

16th Century Writers

16th Century Writers
PoetsPlaywrights
Find out more about the greatest 16th Century Writers, including William Shakespeare, James VI and I, Niccolò Machiavelli, Walter Raleigh and Nostradamus.
William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
26 April 1564, British
Writer
Niccolò MachiavelliNiccolò Machiavelli
03 May 1469, Italian
Political Philosopher

Walter RaleighWalter Raleigh
22 January 1554, British
Politician, Writer, Explorer, Aristocrat

KabirKabir
1440 AD, Indian
Saint and Mystic Poet

Christopher MarloweChristopher Marlowe
26 February 1564, British
Playwright, Poet

Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift
30 November 1667, Irish
Author and Satirist
Miguel de CervantesMiguel de Cervantes
29 September 1547, Spanish
Novelist

John DonneJohn Donne
22 January 1572, British
Poet, lawyer, satirist

Ben JonsonBen Jonson
11 June 1572, British
Dramatist, Poet & Actor

Götz von BerlichingenGötz von Berlichingen
1480 AD, German
Imperial Knight, Mercenary, Poet
Edmund SpenserEdmund Spenser
1552 AD, British
Poet

François RabelaisFrançois Rabelais
04 February 1494, French
Writer
George HerbertGeorge Herbert
03 April 1593, British, Welsh
Poet

MirabaiMirabai
1498 AD, Indian
Bhakti Saint

Veronica FrancoVeronica Franco
25 March 1546, Italian
Courtesan, Poetess
Emilia LanierEmilia Lanier
31 December 1569, British
Poet

Giambattista della PortaGiambattista della Porta
01 November 1535, Italian
Scholar, Polymath
Abdul Rahim Khan-I-KhanaAbdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana
17 December 1556, Indian
Poet

Ismail IIsmail I
17 July 1487, Iranian
sovereign, poet, writer

Philip SidneyPhilip Sidney
30 November 1554, British
Poet
Francis de SalesFrancis de Sales
16 August 1567, French, Italian
Theologian, Priest, Writer

Reginald PoleReginald Pole
03 March 1500, British
Archbishop of Canterbury
Henry Howard, Earl of SurreyHenry Howard, Earl of Surrey
1517 AD, British
Politician

Anne AskewAnne Askew
1521 AD, British
poet

Benvenuto CelliniBenvenuto Cellini
03 November 1500, Italian
Sculptor, Writer, Medallist, Painter,

EknathEknath
1533 AD, Indian
Saint
Robert BellarmineRobert Bellarmine
04 October 1542, Italian
Theologian, Writer, Librarian, University teacher,
John Amos ComeniusJohn Amos Comenius
28 March 1592, Czech
Writer, Linguist, Presbyter, Theologian,

Lope de VegaLope de Vega
25 November 1562, Spanish
Playwright, Poet, Writer

Edward WinslowEdward Winslow
18 October 1595, British
Author

Richard HakluytRichard Hakluyt
1553 AD, British
Writer
John FoxeJohn Foxe
1516 AD, British
Historian

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Thomas KydThomas Kyd
06 November 1558, British
playwright, writer

Torquato TassoTorquato Tasso
11 March 1544, Italian
Poet, Writer, Playwright, Poet lawyer

Conrad GessnerConrad Gessner
26 March 1516, Swiss
Linguist, Zoologist, Mountaineer, Physician,

Francisco de QuevedoFrancisco de Quevedo
14 September 1580, Spanish
writer, poet
Izaak WaltonIzaak Walton
09 August 1593, British
Writer

John LylyJohn Lyly
1553 AD, British
Writer
Thomas NasheThomas Nashe
31 October 1567, British
Playwright

Pietro AretinoPietro Aretino
19 April 1492, Italian
Poet, Writer, Playwright, Journalist

Thomas MiddletonThomas Middleton
18 April 1580, British
Playwright, Poet, Writer
Edmond HoyleEdmond Hoyle
1672 AD, British
Writer

Giambattista BasileGiambattista Basile
1566 AD, Italian
writer, poet, children's writer
Duarte BarbosaDuarte Barbosa
Portuguese
 

Pierre de RonsardPierre de Ronsard
11 September 1524, French
Poet, Writer

Mikael AgricolaMikael Agricola
1509 AD, Finnish
linguist, priest, translator, theologian

Bihari LalBihari Lal
1595 AD, Indian
Poet

Michael DraytonMichael Drayton
1563 AD, British
Poet, Writer
Alexandre de RhodesAlexandre de Rhodes
15 March 1591, French
Lexicographer, Linguist, Writer, Missionary

Xu GuangqiXu Guangqi
04 May 1562, Chinese
mathematician, astronomer, writer

Catalina de ErausoCatalina de Erauso
1592 AD, Spanish
explorer, military personnel, writer

Olaus MagnusOlaus Magnus
30 September 1490, Swedish
Writer
Hans StadenHans Staden
1525 AD, German
explorer, writer, autobiographer

Luis de LeónLuis de León
1527 AD, Spanish
linguist, poet, writer, translator
George BuchananGeorge Buchanan
01 February 1506, Scottish
linguist, poet, historian, translator

Tirso de MolinaTirso de Molina
24 March 1579, Spanish
Playwright, Poet, Writer

Jan KochanowskiJan Kochanowski
1530 AD, Polish
poet
Joost van den VondelJoost van den Vondel
17 November 1587, Dutch
Poet, Playwright, Writer

Mikołaj RejMikołaj Rej
04 February 1505, Polish
poet, writer
Primož TrubarPrimož Trubar
19 June 1508, Slovenian
writer, translator,theologian, Bible translator

Martin ChemnitzMartin Chemnitz
09 November 1522, German
Theologian, University teacher, Astrologer

Thomas TusserThomas Tusser
1524 AD, British
Author, Writer
Thomas DekkerThomas Dekker
1572 AD, British
playwright, poet, writer

Andrzej Frycz ModrzewskiAndrzej Frycz Modrzewski
20 September 1503, Polish
Scholar
Garcilaso de la VegaGarcilaso de la Vega
06 February 1501, Spanish
poet, soldier

John FletcherJohn Fletcher
30 November 1579, British
playwright, poet, writer

Sir Robert FilmerSir Robert Filmer
1588 AD, British
Political scientist

William DrummondWilliam Drummond
13 December 1585, Scottish
Poet, Writer
Wu Cheng'enWu Cheng'en
1500 AD, Chinese
Novelist