This is a list of writers in English and Cornish, who are associated with Cornwall and Cornish linguists (). Not all of them are native Cornish people.
Some Cornish writers have reached a high level of prominence, e.g. William Golding, who won the Nobel Prize for literature (in 1983), D. M. Thomas who won the Cheltenham Prize for Literature and Arthur Quiller-Couch ("Q").
Some of the "incomers" have written extensively about Cornwall and the Cornish, e.g. Daphne du Maurier, who went as far as joining Mebyon Kernow.
Historians and scholars See List of Cornish historians
Novelists
Denys Val Baker, novelist and writer A. P. Bateman, thriller writer and bestselling author Wilfred Bennetto, writer of the first full-length novel in Cornish Janie Bolitho, crime writer W. J. Burley, Wycliffe series Jack Clemo, poet Myrna Combellack, novelist and scholar Michael J Darracott, writer, lived in Newlyn Daphne du MaurierMargaret Forster, 'Du Maurier, Dame Daphne (1907–1989)’, rev., Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 20 December 2008 Martin Fido. crime writer Patrick Gale Jane Johnson, native Cornish novelist, author of The Tenth Gift, Pillars of Light, The Sea Gate, The White Hare and Secrets of the Bees. Robert Goddard William Golding, Nobel laureateKevin McCarron, 'Golding, Sir William Gerald (1911–1993)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 20 December 2008 Winston Graham, Poldark seriesDennis Barker, 'Graham, Winston Mawdsley (1908?–2003)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online edn, Oxford University Press, January 2007 accessed 20 December 2008 Tim Heald Joseph Hocking, author and preacher Silas Hocking, author and preacherR. G. Burnett, 'Hocking, Silas Kitto (1850–1935)’, rev. Sayoni Basu, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 16 December 2008 Ann Kelley Alan M. Kent, poet, novelist and scholar John le Carré Charles Lee, (1870–1956) Katharine Lee (Kitty Lee Jenner, 1854–1936) Herman Cyril McNeile, "Sapper", novelist Jessica Mann, crime writer Charlotte Mary Matheson, novelist Wyl Menmuir, novelist Gertrude Parsons, Roman Catholic novelist Mark Guy Pearse, author and preacher Susan Penhaligon Rosamunde Pilcher Arthur Quiller-Couch, aka "Q", novelist and scholar Alastair Reynolds, lived in Cornwall as child Jean Rhys, novelist, lived at Bude for a period Angie Sage, author and illustrator Howard Spring, lived in Falmouth Sharon Tregenza Derek Tangye Nigel Tangye D. M. Thomas E. V. Thompson Enys Tregarthen, writer and folklorist John Coulson Tregarthen, novelist and naturalist Craig Weatherhill, archaeologist, Cornish historian, writer Mary Wesley Colin Wilson Leo Walmsley, writer and novelistShells and Bright Stones, Stead, Smith Settle 2001
Poets Brother Anthony, poet and translator from Korean John Barber Wilfred Bennetto, poet and novelist writing in Cornish John Betjeman, Poet Laureate, English writer and scholar, frequent visitor to Cornwall and writer on culture Ronald Bottrall Arthur CaddickArthur Caddick Charles Causley, poet from Launceston Helena Charles Jack Clemo, poet Jane Crewdson Caroline Fox, diarist William Golding W. S. Graham, Scottish poet Geoffrey Grigson, poet and prose writer Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet, met his wife Emma Gifford, while he was working at St Juliot church, near BoscastleMichael Millgate, 'Hardy, Thomas (1840–1928)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 16 December 2008 (some of his poems are about events in Cornwall) John Harris, miner and poet Richard Jenkin Ann Kelley Les Merton, varying styles, including dialect poetry; also a publisher Christopher Middleton Bernard Moore Peter Mundy, traveller from Penryn Robert Morton Nance Mick Paynter, contemporary poet writing in Cornish William Henry Paynter Margaret Steuart Pollard Richard Polwhele David Prowse (Poet) AKA 'The People's Poet' and 'The Gardening Poet' Henry Quick Arthur Quiller-Couch Peter Redgrove A. L. Rowse, historian, poet and scholar Tim Saunders, contemporary poet writing in Cornish Penelope Shuttle Henry Sewell Stokes, poet D. M. Thomas Terence Tiller, poet and radio producer Elizabeth Trefusis, poet of the Romantic period Lawrence Upton Robert Walling
Playwrights and dramatists Nick Darke, playwright Daphne du Maurier, novelist and playwright Samuel Foote, playwright and actor William Golding William Killigrew, playwright Charles Lee Donald Rawe D. M. Thomas
Children's writers Nick Carter Ann Kelley Jack Trelawny Sharon Tregenza
Linguists and writers in Cornish
Wilfred Bennetto, poet and novelist writing in Cornish John Boson, Nicholas Boson, and Thomas Boson, 18th-century writers in the Cornish languageMatthew Spriggs, 'Boson family (per. c.1675–1730)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008 accessed 16 December 2008 Richard Carew, translator and antiquaryS. Mendyk, 'Carew, Richard (1555–1620)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 December 2008 John Davey, of Zennor, last person with any traditional knowledge of Cornish, died 1891: he wrote a few verses in the language Richard Gendall Ken George Haldreyn (William Morris), poet Steve Harris, translator and writer Julyan Holmes, scholar Fred W. P. Jago, linguist and physician Henry JennerPeter W. Thomas, 'Jenner, Henry (1848–1934)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online edn, Oxford University Press, May 2005 accessed 16 December 2008 John of Cornwall, medieval grammarian Robert Morton NanceBrian Murdoch, 'Nance, Robert Morton (1873–1959)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 December 2008 Mick Paynter, contemporary poet writing in Cornish Tim Saunders, contemporary poet writing in Cornish William Scawen, soldier and linguistMatthew Spriggs, 'Scawen, William (1600–1689)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 December 2008 A. S. D. Smith, scholar Tony Snell, poet and linguist Humphrey Tonkin, Esperantist and professor of English John Tregear Jim Wearne Nicholas Williams, linguist, translator of the Bible into Cornish
Bards of the Gorseth Kernow This is an honorary position, not all of the bards are Cornish or based in Cornwall. For purposes of brevity, those mentioned above are not repeated.
Malcolm Arnold Vanessa Beeman Michael Williams John Langdon Bonython Gilbert Hunter Doble Peter Berresford Ellis Charles Henderson Kenneth Hamilton Jenkin Loveday Jenkin John Kendall-Carpenter Peter Lanyon Ivan Rabey Joan Rendell Goff Richards Richard Rutt Tim Saunders A. S. D. Smith Tony Snell Thomas Taylor Charles Thomas Richard Trant John Coulson Tregarthen Garry Tregidga Robert Walling Richard John Maddern-Williams
References
Further reading William Henry Kearley Wright, West-country Poets: their lives and works (1896)
External links Poetry Cornwall