Mississippi Library Commission Blog: 21 Authors Who Died in 2016

Friday, December 30, 2016

21 Authors Who Died in 2016

Some of our most beloved authors passed away in 2016. While we can still enjoy their work, it's disheartening to realize that there won't be another Llama Llama book or bestselling novel from these folks. Head to your local library or independent bookstore to check out any of these great books by authors we lost this year.

Margaret Forster
May 25, 1938-February 8, 2016
Her 1965 book Georgy Girl was turned into a movie with this hit song by The Seekers.

Harper Lee
April 28, 1926-February 19, 2016
Her novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a modern classic.
Umberto Eco
January 5, 1932-February 19, 2016
A prolific Italian author, his book The Name of the Rose was turned into a hit movie in 1986.
Pat Conroy
October 26, 1945-March 4, 2016
Perhaps best known for his novels The Great Santini and The Prince of Tides, Conroy was once fired as a teacher because he refused to use corporal punishment.
Jim Harrison
December 11, 1937-March 26, 2016
His Legends of the Fall novella trilogy was made into a movie starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.
Katherine Dunn
October 24, 1945-May 11, 2016
Her 1989 novel, Geek Love, was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Wendy Leigh
September 13, 1950-May 29, 2016
Leigh was a nonfiction writer, penning biographies of many celebrities including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Prince.
Lois Duncan
April 28, 1934-June 16, 2016
Many of her runaway hit YA suspense and horror books, like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Killing Mr. Griffin, were made into movies.
Alvin Toffler
October 4, 1928-June 27, 2016
Toffler explored technological advances in his books Future Shock and The Third Wave.
Elie Wiesel
September 30, 1928-July 2, 2016
A Holocaust survivor who published over 50 books, including his best known work, Night, Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
Reverend Tim LaHaye
April 27, 1926-July 25, 2016
His Left Behind series captivated millions.
James Alan McPherson
September 16, 1943-July 27, 2016
He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel Elbow Room in 1978.
Max Ritvo
December 19, 1990-August 23, 2016
He told the world about his cancer in shockingly lyrical verse.
Anna Dewdney
December 25, 1965-September 3, 2016
Her children's books, especially the Llama Llama series, were beloved by children and adults worldwide.
Edward Albee
March 12, 1928-September 16, 2016
Pulitzer and Tony Award winning playwright
W.P. Kinsella
May 25-1935-September 16, 2016
A Canadian author, he was well known for his book Shoeless Joe, which became the movie Field of Dreams.
Gloria Naylor
January 25, 1950-September 28, 2016
Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place won the National Book Award in 1983 for First Novel and was made into a miniseries starring Cicely Tyson and Oprah Winfrey.
Steve Dillon
March 22, 1962-October 22, 2016
Co-creator of Preacher, he also worked on Hellblazer and The Punisher.
William Trevor
May 24, 1928-November 21, 2016
Trevor was aprize-winning Irish author.
E.R. Braithwaite
June 27, 1912-December 12, 2016
Braithwaite's autobiographical novel To Sir, With Love was made into a movie starring Sidney Poitier in 1967.
Richard Adams
May 9, 1920-December 27, 2016
His novel Watership Down became an instant classic when it was published in 1972.