Capricorn Writers

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 1 
Stan Lee
(Primary Creative Leader of Marvel Comics and Characters such as 'Spider-Man', 'X-Men' and 'Iron Man')
Stan Lee
75
Birthdate: December 28, 1922
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: November 12, 2018

Stan Lee was one of the most popular comic book writers, thanks to his appearances in several Marvel movies. He is well-known as the co-creator of many famous superheroes, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. He pioneered a naturalistic method to writing superhero comics and challenged the Comics Code Authority, which ultimately led to changes in its policies.

 2 
J. R. R. Tolkien
(Author of 'The Hobbit' & 'The Lord of the Rings')
J. R. R. Tolkien
81
Birthdate: January 3, 1892
Birthplace: Bloemfontein, South Africa
Died: September 2, 1973

Considered one of the greatest authors, JRR Tolkien is popularly called the father of the modern fantasy literature. He is best known for his high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which is set in a conceived world called the Middle-Earth. Many years after his death, Tolkien continues to be one of the best-selling writers.

 3 
Edgar Allan Poe
(Writer and Poet - Widely Regarded as a Central Figure of Romanticism in the United States)
Edgar Allan Poe
51
Birthdate: January 19, 1809
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: October 7, 1849

American writer Edgar Allan Poe is regarded as the architect of modern short story, the inventor of the detective-fiction genre and a major contributor towards science fiction genre. The influential writer is recognised for his tales of mystery and macabre. His notable works include The Raven (poem), The Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher (short stories).

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 4 
Isaac Asimov
(Writer Best Known for His Hard Science Fiction Novels and Professor of Biochemistry)
Isaac Asimov
14
Birthdate: January 2, 1920
Birthplace: Petrovichi, Russia
Died: April 6, 1992

Isaac Asimov was an American writer. Best known for his science fiction works, Asimov was regarded as one of the Big Three writers along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein. Asimov is credited with influencing most sci-fi writers since the 1950s. Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman stated that one of Asimov's works inspired him to take up Economics.

 5 
Rudyard Kipling
(Journalist, Poet & Novelist)
Rudyard Kipling
25
Birthdate: December 30, 1865
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 
J. D. Salinger
(American Author Best Known for His Novel 'The Catcher in the Rye')
J. D. Salinger
5
Birthdate: January 1, 1919
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: January 27, 2010
J. D. Salinger is best remembered for his controversial novel The Catcher in the Rye, which was banned in many school libraries due to its sexual content. His other notable works include the anthology Nine Stories and the novella Hapworth. He spent much of his life in seclusion. 
 7 
Jack London
(Novelist & Journalist)
Jack London
11
Birthdate: January 12, 1876
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: November 22, 1916

Jack London was an American novelist, social activist, and journalist. A pioneer of American magazines and commercial fiction, London was one of the first authors from the US to become an international celebrity. His life and work inspired several films, such as the 1943 movie Jack London and 1980 film Klondike Fever. He was also portrayed in several TV series.

 8 
Umberto Eco
(Medievalist, Philosopher and Author of 'The Name of the Rose' and 'Foucault's Pendulum')
Umberto Eco
5
Birthdate: January 5, 1932
Birthplace: Alessandria, Italy
Died: February 19, 2016

Italian novelist Umberto Eco is best remembered for his novels The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum. He also taught at the University of Bologna and had released quite a few children’s books and translations. He was also known for his work on semiotics and medieval studies.

 9 
E. M. Forster
(English Author Known for His Novels: ‘A Room with a View’, ‘Howards End’ and ‘A Passage to India’)
E. M. Forster
6
Birthdate: January 1, 1879
Birthplace: Marylebone, London, United Kingdom
Died: June 7, 1970

Best known for his iconic novels Howard’s End and A Passage to India, British author E. M. Forster dealt with themes such as class division and gender. Born in England and educated at Cambridge, he had also spent some time as a secretary to Maharaja Tukojirao III of India.

 10 
Moliere
(French Playwright and One of the Greatest Writers of French Comedy)
Moliere
7
Birthdate: January 15, 1622
Birthplace: Rue Saint Honoré, Paris, France
Died: February 17, 1673

Moliere was a French poet, playwright, and actor. Considered one of the greatest French-language writers of all time, Moliere's plays are often performed at the Comédie-Française and have been translated into several languages. Moliere had a huge impact on the French language and is widely regarded as the creator of modern French comedy.

 11 
Susan Sontag
(Writer and Filmmaker, Best Known for her Essay 'Notes on 'Camp')
Susan Sontag
9
Birthdate: January 16, 1933
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: December 28, 2004
Susan Sontag is best known for her essay anthologies such as Against Interpretation and her novels such as In America. She wrote about diverse issues such as human rights, photography, AIDS, and leftist beliefs, and also visited war-torn areas. The National Book Award-winning author was also openly bisexual. 
 12 
Alan Watts
(English Writer Who Interpreted and Popularised Japanese, Chinese and Hindu Philosophy for Western Audience)
Alan Watts
5
Birthdate: January 6, 1915
Birthplace: Chislehurst, Kent, England
Died: November 16, 1973

Alan Watts was a British writer, philosopher, and speaker. He is credited with popularizing Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism in the Western world. A prolific writer, Alan Watts wrote one of Buddhism's first bestselling books, The Way of Zen. He also explored psychedelics and human consciousness in his works, such as The Joyous Cosmology and The New Alchemy.

 13 
Matthew Arnold
5
Birthdate: December 24, 1822
Birthplace: Laleham, United Kingdom
Died: April 15, 1888

Iconic Victorian poet and literary critic Matthew Arnold is best remembered for his classic essay Culture and Anarchy, which was a social critique of the Victorian era. He also penned poems such as Dover Beach and Sohrab and Rustum. He had also been a school inspector for over 3 decades.

 14 
Haruki Murakami
4
Birthdate: January 12, 1949
Birthplace: Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Japanese writer Haruki Murakami has authored bestselling works such as Norwegian Wood and Kafka on the Shore, which explore the genres of surrealism and magic realism. He has also translated works by J. D. Salinger and Raymond Carver. He has been named to Time 100 and has won numerous awards.
 15 
Mark Rylance
10
Birthdate: January 18, 1960
Birthplace: Ashford, United Kingdom

Mark Rylance is an English actor, playwright, and theatre director. He is one of the eight actors to have been honored twice with the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He is also one of the eight people to have won the British Triple Crown of Acting, having received the BAFTA Television Award, BAFTA Film Award, and Laurence Olivier Award.

 16 
Seth Meyers
(Host of 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' and Former Cast Member of 'Saturday Night Live;)
Seth Meyers
5
Birthdate: December 28, 1973
Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois, United States
Seth Adam Meyers is best known as the host of Late Night with Seth Meyers. He was a writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live and won several awards for his work, including a Peabody Award and an Emmy. He also hosted SNL’s Weekend Update segment.
 17 
Rod Serling
(Screenwriter and Playwright Best Known for His Work on Anthology TV Series ‘The Twilight Zone’)
Rod Serling
5
Birthdate: December 25, 1924
Birthplace: Syracuse, New York, United States
Died: June 28, 1975

Rod Serling was an American playwright, screenwriter, narrator, and television producer. One of the first writers to write specifically for television, Serling is often credited with legitimizing television drama. He is also credited with creating the much-acclaimed series The Twilight Zone. For his much-publicized clashes with TV executives, Serling was often referred to as the angry young man of Hollywood.

 18 
Shonda Rhimes
(Television Producer)
Shonda Rhimes
9
Birthdate: January 13, 1970
Birthplace: Chicago

Shonda Rhimes is a screenwriter, author, and television producer. She is credited with creating, writing, and executive producing one of the most popular American medical drama TV series ever, Grey's Anatomy. She is also credited with creating series like Private Practice and Scandal. In 2007, she was named in Time magazine's list of 100 People Who Help Shape the World.

 19 
Patti Smith
(Known for Her Hit Single “Because the Night”)
Patti Smith
7
Birthdate: December 30, 1946
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Patti Smith is an American singer-songwriter. Referred to as the punk poet laureate, Smith became an influential figure of the punk rock movement with the release of her album Horses. Many world-renowned musicians, such as Madonna and Michael Stipe, have cited Smith as their inspiration. Even actresses like Ellen Page and Maria Doyle Kennedy have called Smith a major influence.

 20 
Carl Sandburg
(Writer & Editor)
Carl Sandburg
3
Birthdate: January 6, 1878
Birthplace: Galesburg, Illinois, United States
Died: July 22, 1967

Carl Sandburg had begun working since age 11 and been employed in various odd jobs, such as a truck driver, a harvester, and a brickyard hand, before being part of the Illinois Infantry. The two-time Pulitzer-winning poet and biographer late also won a Grammy for his recording of Lincoln Portrait.

 21 
A. A. Milne
(Best Known for His Books About the Teddy Bear ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ and Children's Poetry)
A. A. Milne
5
Birthdate: January 18, 1882
Birthplace: London, England
Died: January 31, 1956

A. A. Milne was an English author best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh. He joined the British Army as a young man and served in both World War I and World War II. In his career as a writer, he wrote several novels, non-fiction pieces, articles, poems, screenplays, and children’s stories.

 22 
Ree Drummond
(American Blogger, Author and Television Personality)
Ree Drummond
5
Birthdate: January 6, 1969
Birthplace: Bartlesville, Oklahoma, United States

Ree Drummond is an American author, blogger, food writer, television personality, and photographer. In 2010, she was named in Forbes magazine's Top 25 Web Celebrities list. Riding on the success of her blog The Pioneer Woman, which was adjudged Weblog of the Year for three consecutive years at the Weblog Awards, Drummond went on to present her own television program.

 23 
Nicholas Sparks
(Novelist Known for His Best-Selling Tales of Romance and Heartbreak Like 'The Notebook' & 'Dear John')
Nicholas Sparks
5
Birthdate: December 31, 1965
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Novelist Nicholas Sparks is known for his bestselling books which have been translated into over 50 languages. Eleven of his books, such as Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, and The Notebook, have been adapted into films. He also owns the educational non-profit The Nicholas Sparks Foundation.
 24 
Edmund Burke
(Statesman)
Edmund Burke
6
Birthdate: January 12, 1729
Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Died: July 9, 1797

Anglo-Irish statesman and philosopher, Edmund Burke, was a member of parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Great Britain for several years. He supported  Catholic emancipation and strongly opposed the French Revolution. He felt revolution destroyed the fabric of good society and traditional institutions of state and society. He is considered the philosophical founder of modern conservatism. 

 25 
Khalil Gibran
4
Birthdate: January 6, 1883
Birthplace: Bsharri, Lebanon
Died: April 10, 1931

Lebanese author and poet Khalil Gibran is best remembered for his bestselling works The Prophet and Broken Wings. One of the leaders of the Mahjar movement of Arabic literature, he specialized in incorporating mythological and mystical symbols in his works and was inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche and William Blake.

 26 
Savitribai Phule
(Social Reformer, Poet)
Savitribai Phule
8
Birthdate: January 3, 1831
Birthplace: Naigaon, British India (now in Satara district, Maharashtra)
Died: March 10, 1887

Savitribai Phule was a revolutionary social reformer who dedicated her life to educate girls and bring about gender equality in the face of resistance from the conservative Indian society. Phule, who was illiterate till her marriage, went on to become a teacher, a feat considered first by an Indian woman. With her husband, she established schools for girls in Maharashtra.

 27 
Caroline Aherne
(Actress Best Known for Her Performance as ‘Mrs Merton’ in the Mock Talk Show ‘The Mrs Merton Show’)
Caroline Aherne
6
Birthdate: December 24, 1963
Birthplace: Ealing, London, England
Died: July 2, 2016
BAFTA-winning comedian Caroline Aherne is remembered for her portrayal of the character Mrs. Merton on various shows, such as Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show and The Mrs Merton Show. Fans also loved her as Denise Royle in the sitcom The Royle Family and as a narrator on Gogglebox. 
 28 
Stephen Hawking
(Theoretical Physicist - First to Set Out a Theory of Cosmology)
Stephen Hawking
2
Birthdate: January 8, 1942
Birthplace: Oxford, England
Died: March 14, 2018

Stephen Hawking was an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, who despite being afflicted motor neurone disease that severely limited his physical abilities, was able to build a phenomenally successful career. He was the first to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Hawking was ranked 25 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, in 2002.

 29 
Zora Neale Hurston
(Folklorist, Anthropologist)
Zora Neale Hurston
5
Birthdate: January 7, 1891
Birthplace: Notasulga
Died: January 28, 1960

Zora Neale Hurston was an author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. As an African American woman, she often depicted racial issues in the films she made. Her works also reflected her struggles as a black woman. In her early career, she conducted anthropological and ethnographic research and focused more on writing and film-making in her later years.

 30 
Simon Wiesenthal
(Austrian Holocaust Survivor, Nazi Hunter and Writer)
Simon Wiesenthal
4
Birthdate: December 31, 1908
Birthplace: Buchach, Ukraine
Died: September 20, 2005
Jewish Austrian Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal survived four Nazi concentration camps, including the notorious Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp. He later devoted his life to finding out information about Nazi war criminals to bring them to trial. He wrote several books on his experiences, such as The Sunflower and I Chased Eichmann.
 31 
Rory Stewart
(British Politician Who Served as Minister in Theresa May's Cabinet)
Rory Stewart
4
Birthdate: January 3, 1973
Birthplace: British Hong Kong

The son of a soldier and intelligence officer, Rory Stewart was educated at Eton and Oxford and was also a tutor to princes William and Harry. Apart from being a diplomat and MP later, he also traveled across several countries on foot and wrote about this remarkable journey in a bestselling book.

 32 
David Ayer
(Screenwriter, Film director, Film producer, Actor)
David Ayer
4
Birthdate: January 18, 1968
Birthplace: Champaign
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 33 
Simone de Beauvoir
(French Existentialist Philosopher, Writer, Social Theorist, and Feminist Activist)
Simone de Beauvoir
14
Birthdate: January 9, 1908
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: April 14, 1986
French author and existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir is best remembered for her feminist treatise The Second Sex and her novels The Mandarins and She Came to Stay. Her literary contributions also include essays, biographies, and her autobiographical works. She won the Prix Goncourt and the Jerusalem Prize.
Henry Valentine Miller
4
Birthdate: December 26, 1891
Birthplace: Yorkville, Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: June 7, 1980
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 35 
Meredith Vieira
(Journalist, Television presenter, Writer)
Meredith Vieira
4
Birthdate: December 30, 1953
Birthplace: East Providence
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 36 
Nigella Lawson
(English Food Writer, Television Cook, and Television Presenter)
Nigella Lawson
12
Birthdate: January 6, 1960
Birthplace: Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom
Daughter of Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigella Lawson has written several bestselling cookbooks and hosted many culinary shows. Winner of the British Book Award and the Guild of Food Writers Award, Nigella has previously worked as an editor and freelance journalist and also owns a cookware range.
 37 
Alexandra Wentworth
(Actress)
Alexandra Wentworth
4
Birthdate: January 12, 1965
Birthplace: Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 38 
Stephenie Meyer
(Novelist Best Known for Writing the Vampire Romance Series 'Twilight')
Stephenie Meyer
6
Birthdate: December 24, 1973
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, United States

Best known for writing the Twilight series, a New York Times bestseller which has also been made into a hit film franchise, Stephenie Meyer made it to Time 100 in 2008. Initially a receptionist, she had planned to attend law school. She and her husband, Christiaan, were childhood friends

 39 
Cokie Roberts
(Journalist)
Cokie Roberts
5
Birthdate: December 27, 1943
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: September 17, 2019
Princess Michael of Kent
5
Birthdate: January 15, 1945
Birthplace: Karlovy Vary

Princess, Michael of Kent, is one of the members of the British royal family. Princess Michael, who is of Hungarian, Austrian, and German noble descent, worked as an interior designer before shifting her focus towards writing. Having held a long time fascination for cheetahs, Princess Michael serves as a patron for Namibia's Cheetah Conservation Fund

 41 
Andrea Tantaros
(Political Commentator & Co-Host of Fox News' and an Original Co-Host of The Five)
Andrea Tantaros
4
Birthdate: December 30, 1978
Birthplace: Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 42 
Thomas Gray
(Poet, Writer, Literary critic)
Thomas Gray
4
Birthdate: December 26, 1716
Birthplace: London
Died: July 30, 1771
 43 
Charles Perrault
(Iconic French Author Who Laid the Foundations for a New Literary Genre, the 'Fairy Tale')
Charles Perrault
6
Birthdate: January 12, 1628
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: May 16, 1703

Most people have grown up reading fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots. However, they aren’t probably aware that these folk tales were first collated and presented under the genre fairy tales, as Tales of Mother Goose, by 17th-century French author Charles Perrault.

 44 
Patricia Highsmith
(Novelist)
Patricia Highsmith
5
Birthdate: January 19, 1921
Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Died: February 4, 1995
 45 
Diana Gabaldon
(Author Known for Her 'Outlander' Series of Novels)
Diana Gabaldon
5
Birthdate: January 11, 1952
Birthplace: Williams, Arizona, United States

Author Diana Gabaldon, daughter of Arizona senator Tony Gabaldon, is best known for her Outlander novel series, which has also been adapted into a TV series. Gabaldon has also authored the Lord John series. She is known for mingling several genres, including historical fiction, mystery, science fiction, and romance.

 46 
Anthony Minghella
(Screenwriter, Playwright, Film director, Film producer, Writer)
Anthony Minghella
4
Birthdate: January 6, 1954
Birthplace: Ryde
Died: March 18, 2008
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 47 
Jean Racine
(Dramatist)
Jean Racine
4
Birthdate: December 22, 1639
Birthplace: La Ferté-Milon, Kingdom of France
Died: April 21, 1699
 48 
Katie Couric
(Journalist and Television Host at All of the ‘Big Three' Television Networks in the United States)
Katie Couric
4
Birthdate: January 7, 1957
Birthplace: Arlington County, Virginia, United States

Regarded as “America’s Sweetheart”, Katherine Couric has been a familiar face on top US television networks for decades. The journalist and presenter had a long stint with NBC News before she switched over to CBS News and then to ABC News. She is also known for co-hosting programmes on Today. She co-founded multimedia news and production company Katie Couric Media.

 49 
Anne Brontë
(Writer)
Anne Brontë
6
Birthdate: January 17, 1820
Birthplace: Thornton, West Yorkshire
Died: May 28, 1849
 50 
David S. Goyer
(Screenwriter)
David S. Goyer
4
Birthdate: December 22, 1965
Birthplace: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)