January Literary Birthdays

Happy New Year, dear Readers! January is so rich on author birthdays - what a delight to start the year of 2015! Here is our list of January literary birthdays:

Isaac Asimov (circa January 2, 1920– April 6, 1992) Russian-born American scientist and sci-fi writer. “He is best known for his Foundation series and I, Robot, as well as coining the term “robotics”. It was Asimov who conceived of the idea of the positronic brain, brought to life in iconic pop culture shows like Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation”- bio.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3, 1892 – 2 September 2, 1973) born in South-Africa was a major scholar of the English language, specializing in Old and Middle English. Twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at the University of Oxford, he also wrote a number of stories, including most famously The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.- The Tolkien Society.

Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm (January 4, 1785 – September 20, 1863) was a German scholar and a librarian. He and younger brother Wilhelm studied German folklore and oral traditions, publishing a collection of stories known as Grimm’s' Fairy Tales.

Umberto Eco (born January 5, 1932) is an Italian intellectual and writer known for his work in semiotics and novels, such as The Name of the Rose, Baudolino and The Prague cemetery.

Terence Dean "Terry" Brooks (born January 8, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy fiction. “He spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park in Illinois, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word and Void trilogy.
Karel Čapek (January 9, 1890 – December 25, 1938) was a Czech writer, sci-fi genius and creator of the word "Robot". He is best known for his novel War with the Newts and play R.U.R.

Japanese author Haruki Murakami (January 12, 1949) wrote The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood and 1Q84. His unusual style has been called "mysterious and surreal". – bio.

William Somerset Maugham (January 25, 1874 – December, 16 1965) English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer whose work is characterized by a clear unadorned style, cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of human nature. During World War I he worked as a secret agent. His reputation as a novelist rests primarily on four books: Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence, Cakes and Ale, and The Razor’s Edge. – Encyclopedia Britannica.

Mordecai Richler (January, 27 1931 - July 3, 2001) was a Canadian novelist, essayist, social critic. A Companion of the Order of Canada, two-time winner of the Governor General’s Award, and winner of the Giller Prize, Mordecai Richler is one of Canada’s greatest writers. – Canadian Encyclopedia.