From Romeo and Juliet to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, many of the best, most enduring works of all time have come from British authors. They can make us laugh or bring us to tears, question society itself or just cheer along with our favourite characters, and feel every emotion in between. Here are just a few of the best British authors to listen to right now.
Jane Austen is not just one of the best British authors of all time, but one of the best authors worldwide. She is known for her humorous takes on the British upper classes, and on the place of women in genteel society during the Regency era.
Austen had four major novels published when she was alive; Emma, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility and perhaps her most well-known work, Pride and Prejudice. Both Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published posthumously but rounded out the six titles that would make Austen a household name.
More than two hundred years after her passing, Austen’s legacy lives on. From television series and movies to plays and popular culture, her works have been adapted and reinvigorated on a regular basis. In 2017, Austen replaced Charles Darwin on the £10 note, marking her place as an iconic, unforgettable figure in British history.
George Orwell has had such an impact on not just the literary sphere, but the world at large—so much so that certain scenarios are sometimes deemed ‘Orwellian’. Despite only releasing two major works of fiction, 1984 and Animal Farm, as well as a handful of non-fiction titles, Orwell is easily one of the greatest classic British authors of our time.
In particular, 1984 has become part of modern culture in countless ways. We often use language and terms from the release, such as ‘doublethink’, ‘thought police’, and even ‘big brother’, and his prescient social commentary of the potential for totalitarian control is often referred to today.
Yet for most of his writing career, Orwell (real name Eric Arthur Blair) was most well known for his essays, columns and reviews, as well as his non-fiction pieces such as Down and Out in Paris and London. It wasn’t until his later years and after his death that Orwell became more known for his fiction releases, both of which went on to win the Prometheus Award for Libertarian Science Fiction.
For many children all over the world, C. S. Lewis is the writer who introduced them to fantastical worlds of talking fawns, magical lions and wardrobes that lead to bizarre and wonderful lands. Lewis is, of course, the writer behind the incredible Chronicles of Narnia series, and while this is his most popular work, he did also create a number of other fiction and non-fiction titles.
