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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
MichelangeloMichelangelo
06 March 1475, Italian
Sculptor

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

Miguel de CervantesMiguel de Cervantes
29 September 1547, Spanish
Novelist
Christopher MarloweChristopher Marlowe
26 February 1564, British
Playwright, Poet

Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift
30 November 1667, Irish
Author and Satirist

John DonneJohn Donne
22 January 1572, British
Poet, lawyer, satirist
Götz von BerlichingenGötz von Berlichingen
1480 AD, German
Imperial Knight, Mercenary, Poet

Ben JonsonBen Jonson
11 June 1572, British
Dramatist, Poet & Actor
Edmund SpenserEdmund Spenser
1552 AD, British
Poet

Abdul Rahim Khan-I-KhanaAbdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana
17 December 1556, Indian
Poet

François RabelaisFrançois Rabelais
04 February 1494, French
Writer

George HerbertGeorge Herbert
03 April 1593, British, Welsh
Poet

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

MirabaiMirabai
1498 AD, Indian
Bhakti Saint

Giambattista della PortaGiambattista della Porta
01 November 1535, Italian
Scholar, Polymath

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

Ismail IIsmail I
17 July 1487, Iranian
sovereign, poet, writer
Anne AskewAnne Askew
1521 AD, British
poet

RavidasRavidas
1377 AD, Indian
Poet

Philip SidneyPhilip Sidney
30 November 1554, British
Poet
Benvenuto CelliniBenvenuto Cellini
03 November 1500, Italian
Sculptor, Writer, Medallist, Painter,

Gerolamo CardanoGerolamo Cardano
24 September 1501, Italian
Polymath
John Amos ComeniusJohn Amos Comenius
28 March 1592, Czech
Writer, Linguist, Presbyter, Theologian,

Robert BellarmineRobert Bellarmine
04 October 1542, Italian
Theologian, Writer, Librarian, University teacher,

Lope de VegaLope de Vega
25 November 1562, Spanish
Playwright, Poet, Writer
EknathEknath
1533 AD, Indian
Saint

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Izaak WaltonIzaak Walton
09 August 1593, British
Writer
Richard HakluytRichard Hakluyt
1553 AD, British
Writer

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

Edward WinslowEdward Winslow
18 October 1595, British
Author

John LylyJohn Lyly
1553 AD, British
Writer
Pietro AretinoPietro Aretino
19 April 1492, Italian
Poet, Writer, Playwright, Journalist
John FoxeJohn Foxe
1516 AD, British
Historian

Thomas NasheThomas Nashe
31 October 1567, British
Playwright

Thomas KydThomas Kyd
06 November 1558, British
playwright, writer

VidyapatiVidyapati
1352 AD, Indian
Poet
Francisco de QuevedoFrancisco de Quevedo
14 September 1580, Spanish
writer, poet

Thomas MiddletonThomas Middleton
18 April 1580, British
Playwright, Poet, Writer

Giambattista BasileGiambattista Basile
1566 AD, Italian
writer, poet, children's writer

Edmond HoyleEdmond Hoyle
1672 AD, British
Writer

Catalina de ErausoCatalina de Erauso
1592 AD, Spanish
explorer, military personnel, writer
Rupa GoswamiRupa Goswami
1493 AD, Bangladeshi
Scholar and author

Bihari LalBihari Lal
1595 AD, Indian
Poet
Duarte BarbosaDuarte Barbosa
Portuguese
 

Izumo no OkuniIzumo no Okuni
1572 AD, Japanese
Inventor

George PeeleGeorge Peele
25 July 1556, British
Translator
Dadu DayalDadu Dayal
1544 AD, Indian
Hindu saint

Mary SidneyMary Sidney
27 October 1561, British
Countess
George BuchananGeorge Buchanan
01 February 1506, Scottish
linguist, poet, historian, translator

John SkeltonJohn Skelton
1463 AD, British
Poet

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

Ralph FitchRalph Fitch
1550 AD, British
Explorer

Michael DraytonMichael Drayton
1563 AD, British
Poet, Writer
Charles de Valois, Duke of AngoulêmeCharles de Valois, Duke of Angoulême
28 April 1573, French
Nobleman

Joseph Justus ScaligerJoseph Justus Scaliger
05 August 1540, French
Scholar

Hans StadenHans Staden
1525 AD, German
explorer, writer, autobiographer

John GerardJohn Gerard
1545 AD, British
Botanist
John HeywoodJohn Heywood
1497 AD, British
Writer

Alexandre de RhodesAlexandre de Rhodes
15 March 1591, French
Lexicographer, Linguist, Writer, Missionary
Jean NicotJean Nicot
1530 AD, French
Diplomat and scholar

Roger AschamRoger Ascham
1515 AD, British
Scholar

Xu GuangqiXu Guangqi
04 May 1562, Chinese
mathematician, astronomer, writer
Mikael AgricolaMikael Agricola
1509 AD, Finnish
linguist, priest, translator, theologian

Ivan GundulićIvan Gundulić
08 January 1589, Croatian
Poet
John of ÁvilaJohn of Ávila
06 January 1499, Spanish
Priest

Joseph KaroJoseph Karo
1488 AD, Spanish
Author

William DunbarWilliam Dunbar
1459 AD, Scottish
Poet
Isabella AndreiniIsabella Andreini
1562 AD, Italian
Actress

Philip MassingerPhilip Massinger
1583 AD, British
English playwright
Tang YinTang Yin
06 March 1470, Chinese
Painter

Raphael HolinshedRaphael Holinshed
1529 AD, British
Chronicler

Jan KochanowskiJan Kochanowski
1530 AD, Polish
poet

Olaus MagnusOlaus Magnus
30 September 1490, Swedish
Writer
Joost van den VondelJoost van den Vondel
17 November 1587, Dutch
Poet, Playwright, Writer
Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of DorsetThomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset
1536 AD, British
Poet

Luis de LeónLuis de León
1527 AD, Spanish
linguist, poet, writer, translator

Fulke Greville, 1st Baron BrookeFulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke
03 October 1554, British
Writer

Tirso de MolinaTirso de Molina
24 March 1579, Spanish
Playwright, Poet, Writer
Felipe Guaman Poma de AyalaFelipe Guaman Poma de Ayala
1535 AD, Peruvian
Chronicler

Thomas LodgeThomas Lodge
1558 AD, British
Writer

Samuel PurchasSamuel Purchas
1577 AD, British
Author

Thomas HeywoodThomas Heywood
1575 AD, British
Playwright

Francis BeaumontFrancis Beaumont
1584 AD, British
Dramatist
Ulrich von HuttenUlrich von Hutten
21 April 1488, German
Scholar

Fernão Mendes PintoFernão Mendes Pinto
1509 AD, Portuguese
Author
Henry WottonHenry Wotton
30 March 1568, British
Author

Thomas OverburyThomas Overbury
18 June 1581, British
Poet
Nicholas FerrarNicholas Ferrar
22 February 1592, British
Scholar
Constantijn HuygensConstantijn Huygens
04 September 1596, Netherlands Antilles
Poet