British Male Short Story Writers

Vote for Your Favourite British Male Short Story Writers

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 1 
Roald Dahl
(One of the World's Greatest Authors)
Roald Dahl
20
Birthdate: September 13, 1916
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales
Died: November 23, 1990

British writer, Roald Dahl, is considered as one of the greatest children’s authors. He is one of the best-selling authors of all-time and had a career spanning decades. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, The Twits and Matilda are some of his classic works. He also wrote short stories and novels meant for adults.

 2 
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(British Writer Who Created the Character of Sherlock Holmes)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
12
Birthdate: May 22, 1859
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Scotland
Died: July 7, 1930
Physician-turned-author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is remembered for creating the iconic character Sherlock Holmes. He wrote four novels and 56 short stories on Holmes’s detective adventures and also created the characters Professor Challenger and Brigadier Gerard. A sports lover, he had dabbled in cricket, football, and bodybuilding, too.
 3 
Joseph Conrad
(Known for Short Stories and Novels Like Lord Jim, Heart of Darkness and the Secret Agent)
Joseph Conrad
6
Birthdate: December 3, 1857
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Berdychiv, Ukraine
Died: August 3, 1924

Joseph Conrad was a Polish-British writer. Considered one of the greatest English-language novelists of all time, Conrad is credited with bringing a non-English sensibility into English-language literature. Many of his works have inspired several films, TV series, and video games. His anti-heroic characters and narrative style have influenced many authors like Salman Rushdie, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and T. S. Eliot.

 4 
Ian Fleming
(Author of James Bond Series)
Ian Fleming
5
Birthdate: May 28, 1908
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mayfair, London
Died: August 12, 1964

Ian Fleming was a British writer, naval intelligence officer, and journalist. Fleming is credited with creating one of the most popular characters of all time, James Bond. His James Bond series of novels have sold more than 100 million copies, making them one of the best-selling fictional book series in history. Jamaica’s Ian Fleming International Airport is named after him.

 5 
Rudyard Kipling
(Journalist, Poet & Novelist)
Rudyard Kipling
5
Birthdate: December 30, 1865
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mumbai, India
Died: January 18, 1936

English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist Rudyard Kipling is best remembered for his fiction work The Jungle Book. He was born in India and many of his works are inspired by his life in the country. He was one of the most popular English writers in the late 19th and early 20th century.

 6 
Kazuo Ishiguro
(Nobel Prize Winner in Literature)
Kazuo Ishiguro
5
Birthdate: November 8, 1954
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Nagasaki, Japan
Nobel Prize-winning British-Asian author Sir Kazuo Ishiguro also won the Man Booker Prize for the novel The Remains of the Day. Time named his Never Let Me Go the best novel of 2005. He has also penned several screenplays and songs, and is known for his signature first-person narrative style.
 7 
Saki
(Writer)
Saki
6
Birthdate: December 18, 1870
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sittwe, Myanmar (Burma)
Died: November 14, 1916
 8 
Gilbert K. Chesterton
(One of the Greatest Writers of the 20th Century Best Known as the 'Prince of Paradox')
Gilbert K. Chesterton
4
Birthdate: May 29, 1874
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kensington, London, United Kingdom
Died: June 14, 1936

Gilbert K. Chesterton was an English writer, philosopher, and art critic. A prolific writer, he composed around 80 books, hundreds of poems, around 200 short stories, and 4,000 essays. Often referred to as the "prince of paradox", he had as many detractors as he had admirers. He is considered a successor to Victorian authors like Matthew Arnold and John Ruskin.

 9 
P G Wodehouse
4
Birthdate: October 15, 1881
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Guildford, England
Died: February 14, 1975
 10 
Rupert Holmes
(Composer)
Rupert Holmes
4
Birthdate: February 24, 1947
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Cheshire, England, UK
 11 
China Miéville
(Speculative Fiction & Fantasy Author Known for Her Work 'Perdido Street Station')
China Miéville
4
Birthdate: September 6, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Norwich, England
 12 
Julian Barnes
(English Writer)
Julian Barnes
3
Birthdate: January 19, 1946
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Leicester, England
 13 
Martin Amis
(Novelist, Science fiction writer, Short story writer, University teacher, Memoirist, Writer, Screenwriter)
Martin Amis
4
Birthdate: August 25, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cardiff

Martin Amis is a British novelist, memoirist, screenwriter, and essayist whose memoir, Experience, earned him the prestigious James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2000. Martin Amis' works have influenced several other British novelists like Zadie Smith and Will Self. In 2008, he was mentioned in The Times' list of 50 greatest British writers since 1945.

 14 
Winston Graham
(Novelist)
Winston Graham
4
Birthdate: June 30, 1908
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Victoria Park, Manchester, England
Died: July 10, 2003
 15 
William Maugham
(Novelist & Playwright)
William Maugham
4
Birthdate: January 25, 1874
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 15, 1965
 16 
William Boyd
(Novelist)
William Boyd
3
Birthdate: March 7, 1952
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Accra, Gold Coast (British colony) Gold Coast
 17 
Brian Wilson Aldiss
(Writer)
Brian Wilson Aldiss
5
Birthdate: August 18, 1925
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dereham, England
Died: August 19, 2017

Brian Wilson Aldiss was an English anthology editor and writer whose short story Supertoys Last All Summer Long formed the basis for Spielberg's science-fiction movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence. In 2004, Aldiss was inducted into thee Science Fiction Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of two Hugo Awards, one John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and one Nebula Award.

 18 
George Gissing
(British Novelist Best Known for His Works: 'The Nether World', 'New Grub Street' and 'The Odd Women')
George Gissing
3
Birthdate: November 22, 1857
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Wakefield, England
Died: December 28, 1903

English novelist George Gissing is known for the way he showcased the realism of the lower-middle class in his works such as The Nether World. In spite of being a brilliant student, he was expelled from Owens College for theft. He specialized in the literary study of Charles Dickens and his works.

 19 
H. E. Bates
(Writer)
H. E. Bates
3
Birthdate: May 16, 1905
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Rushden, England
Died: January 29, 1974
 20 
Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany
(Dramatist)
Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany
3
Birthdate: July 24, 1878
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: London, England
Died: October 25, 1957

Edward Plunkett was a talented Irish author, known for his fantasy novels such as The King of Elfland's Daughter. Initially educated at Eton and then at Sandhurst, he had also been part of the British Army in World War I. He also designed chess puzzles and was a keen hunter.

 21 
William Trevor
(Novelist)
William Trevor
3
Birthdate: May 24, 1928
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mitchelstown, Ireland
Died: November 20, 2016
 22 
Walter de La Mare
(Poet)
Walter de La Mare
4
Birthdate: April 25, 1873
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Charlton, London Charlton, Kent, England, UK
Died: June 22, 1956
 23 
W.W. Jacobs
(Writer)
W.W. Jacobs
3
Birthdate: September 8, 1863
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: London, England
Died: September 1, 1943
 24 
L.P. Hartley
(Novelist)
L.P. Hartley
4
Birthdate: December 30, 1895
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Whittlesey, England
Died: December 13, 1972
 25 
Alfred Noyes
3
Birthdate: September 16, 1880
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wolverhampton
Died: June 28, 1958
 26 
Alan Sillitoe
3
Birthdate: March 4, 1928
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nottingham, England
Died: April 25, 2010
 27 
E.F. Benson
(British Writer and Archaeologist Best Known for His Collection of Novels 'Mapp and Lucia')
E.F. Benson
3
Birthdate: July 24, 1867
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Wellington College, Berkshire, England
Died: February 29, 1940

Chiefly known as a novelist, biographer, and memoirist, Edward Frederic Benson began his career with the British School of Archaeology in Athens, publishing his first successful novel, Dodo: A Detail of the Day, during this period. Its popularity encouraged him to continue publishing, the most significant works among them being Mapp and Lucia series, and the biography of Queen Victoria.

 28 
David Garnett
(Writer)
David Garnett
3
Birthdate: March 9, 1892
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Brighton, England
Died: February 17, 1981
 29 
Graham Swift
(Writer)
Graham Swift
4
Birthdate: May 4, 1949
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, England
 30 
Ernest Dowson
(Poet)
Ernest Dowson
3
Birthdate: August 2, 1867
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lee, England
Died: February 23, 1900
 31 
John Beverley Nichols
(English Writer, Playwright and Public Speaker)
John Beverley Nichols
2
Birthdate: September 9, 1898
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bower Ashton, Bristol, England
Died: September 15, 1983
 32 
E. Phillips Oppenheim
(Author)
E. Phillips Oppenheim
2
Birthdate: October 22, 1866
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London, England
Died: February 3, 1946
 33 
Hall Caine
(Novelist)
Hall Caine
3
Birthdate: May 14, 1853
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Runcorn, United Kingdom
Died: August 31, 1931
 34 
Angus Wilson
(Novelist)
Angus Wilson
2
Birthdate: August 11, 1913
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Bexhill, England
Died: May 31, 1991
 35 
Jon McGregor
(Novelist and short story writer)
Jon McGregor
2
Birthdate: 1976 AD
Birthplace: Bermuda
 36 
Michael Gilbert
(Solicitor, Writer)
Michael Gilbert
2
Birthdate: July 17, 1912
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Billinghay, England
Died: February 8, 2006
 37 
Oliver Onions
(Writer)
Oliver Onions
2
Birthdate: November 13, 1873
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Died: April 9, 1961
 38 
Frederick Rolfe
(British Writer, Artist, Photographer and Eccentric)
Frederick Rolfe
2
Birthdate: July 22, 1860
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cheapside, City of London, England
Died: October 25, 1913

Frederick Rolfe was an English photographer, writer, and artist. A prolific writer, Rolfe wrote several novels and letters. He also took an interest in painting and photography throughout his life. Although many of his novels are held in high regard today, they did not help him earn a substantial amount of money during his lifetime.

 39 
Arthur Morrison
(Author)
Arthur Morrison
2
Birthdate: November 1, 1863
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kent, England
Died: December 4, 1945
 40 
Eden Phillpotts
(British Novelist, Poet, and Dramatist)
Eden Phillpotts
2
Birthdate: November 4, 1862
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India
Died: December 29, 1960

Eden Phillpotts was an English poet, author, and dramatist whose comic play The Farmer's Wife inspired several films, including Alfred Hitchcock's 1928 movie of the same name. His works were admired by writers like Jorge Luis Borges and Agatha Christie. Phillpotts also worked towards the conservation of Dartmoor National Park. For many years, he served as Dartmoor Preservation Association’s president.

 41 
Wilson Harris
(Writer)
Wilson Harris
2
Birthdate: March 24, 1921
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New Amsterdam, Guyana
Died: March 8, 2018
 42 
Michael Arlen
(British Writer Most Famous for His Satirical Romances Set in English Smart Society)
Michael Arlen
0
Birthdate: November 16, 1895
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Ruse, Bulgaria
Died: June 23, 1956

Michael Arlen was born in Bulgaria, into an Armenian merchant family that had escaped to avoid persecution in the Ottoman Empire. The family then moved to England, where he later penned his iconic novel The Green Hat. Apart from romances, he also wrote thrillers, one of which was adapted by Hitchcock.

 43 
Richard Hughes
(Writer)
Richard Hughes
2
Birthdate: April 19, 1900
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Weybridge, England
Died: April 28, 1976
 44 
Paul Magrs
(English Writer and Lecturer)
Paul Magrs
1
Birthdate: November 12, 1969
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Jarrow, County Durham, England
 45 
T.F. Powys
(Novelist)
T.F. Powys
1
Birthdate: December 20, 1875
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Shirley, England
Died: November 27, 1953
 46 
Edward Upward
(Author)
Edward Upward
1
Birthdate: September 9, 1903
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Romford, England
Died: February 13, 2009
 47 
Ronald Duncan
(British author)
Ronald Duncan
1
Birthdate: August 6, 1914
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mashonaland, Zimbabwe
Died: June 3, 1982
 48 
William John Locke
(Novelist, Playwright)
William John Locke
0
Birthdate: March 20, 1863
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Demerara, Guyana
Died: May 15, 1930
 49 
Sid Chaplin
(British Novelist and Short-Story Writer)
Sid Chaplin
1
Birthdate: September 20, 1916
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Shildon, England
Died: January 11, 1986
Born into a mining family in Durham, Sid Chaplin penned the award-winning book The Leaping Lad while working as a miner. He then wrote for the National Coal Board magazine and graduated to writing for The Guardian. While he initially aspired to be an economist, his love for literature won eventually.
 50 
Richard Garnett
(English librarian)
Richard Garnett
1
Birthdate: February 27, 1835
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lichfield, England
Died: April 13, 1906