Deaths
- 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]