List of writers from Northern Ireland

Writers from Northern Ireland include literary figures such as poets, novelists, essayists, and scholars who were born in or spent a significant portion of their career in Northern Ireland.

B

• Tony Bailie
• Jo Bannister (born 1951)
• Colin Bateman (born 1962)
• Ronan Bennett (born 1956)
• Maureen Boyle (born 1961)
• Kenneth Branagh (born 1960)
• Colette Bryce (born 1970)
• Eve Bunting (born 1928)
• James Burke (born 1936)
• Anna Burns (born 1962)

C

• Lucy Caldwell (born 1982)
• Joseph Campbell (1879–1944)
• William Carleton (novelist) (1794–1869)
• Thomas Carnduff (1886–1956)
• Ciarán Carson (1948–2019)
• Joyce Cary (1888–1957)
• James Cousins (1873–1956)
• Kathleen Coyle (1886–1952)
• Mairtín Crawford (1967–2004)
• Sam Cree (1928–1980)
• Eric Cross (1905–1980)

D

• Gerald Dawe (born 1952)
• Seamus Deane (1940–2021)
• Anne Devlin (born 1951)
• Susannah Dickey
• Richard Doherty (born 1948)
• Moyra Donaldson (born 1956)
• Charles Donnelly (1914–1937)
• John Dougherty (born 1964)
• Garbhan Downey (born 1966)

E

• St. John Greer Ervine (1883–1971)

F

• Padraic Fiacc (1924–2019)
• Leontia Flynn (born 1974)
• Brendan Foley (born 1964)
• Brian Friel (1929–2015)
• Seamus Finnegan (born 1949)

G

• Stephen Gilbert (1912–2010)
• Robert Greacen (1920–2008)

H

• Sam Hanna Bell (1909–1990)
• Francis Harvey (1925–2014)
• Seamus Heaney (1939–2013)
• John Hewitt (1907–1987)
• Sir John Heygate, 4th Baronet (1903-1976)
• Gareth Higgins (born 1975)
• Bulmer Hobson (1882–1969)
• Tim Hodkinson (born 1971)

J

• Carolyn Jess-Cooke (born 1978)
• Fred Johnston (born 1951)

K

• Brian Keenan (born 1950)
• Brian Kennedy (born 1966)
• Benedict Kiely (1919–2007)

L

• Nick Laird (born 1975)
• Maurice Leitch (1933–2023)
• Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963)
• Antonia Logue (born 1972)
• Michael Longley (1939–2025)
• Robert Wilson Lynd (1879–1949)

M

• Bernard MacLaverty (born 1942)
• Louis MacNeice (1907–1963)
• Deirdre Madden (born 1960)
• Derek Mahon (1941–2020)
• Philip MacCann (born 1967)
• Owen McCafferty (born 1961)
• Eamonn McCann (born 1943)
• Hugh McFadden
• Roy McFadden (1921–1999)
• Medbh McGuckian (born 1950)
• Christina McKenna
• Adrian McKinty
• David McKittrick (born 1949)
• Robert McLiam Wilson (born 1966)
• Nigel McLoughlin (born 1968)
• George McWhirter (born 1939)
• Eoin McNamee (born 1961)
• Sam Millar (born 1955)
• Alice Milligan (1865–1953)
• Gary Mitchell (born 1965)
• Frances Molloy (1947–1991), novelist
• Brian Moore (1921–1999)
• Sinéad Morrissey (born 1972)
• Danny Morrison (born 1953)
• Paul Muldoon (born 1951)
• Paul Murray (born 1947)
• Tony Macaulay (writer) (born 1963)

N

• Stuart Neville (born 1972)

O

• Flann O'Brien (1911–1966)
• Conor O'Callaghan (born 1968)
• Malachi O'Doherty (born 1951)
• Moira O'Neill (1864–1955)
• Séamus Ó Néill (1910–1986)
• Frank Ormsby (born 1947)
• James Orr (1770-1816)

P

• Stewart Parker (1941–1988)
• Glenn Patterson (born 1961)
• Tom Paulin (born 1945)
• William Peskett (born 1952)

R

• Zane Radcliffe (born 1969)
• Christina Reid (1942–2015)
• Forrest Reid (1875–1947)
• Graham Reid (born 1945)
• Amanda McKittrick Ross (1860–1939)
• Richard Rowley (1877–1947)
• George William Russell (1867–1935)

S

• Ian Sansom (born 1966)
• Bob Shaw (1931–1996)
• George Shiels (1886–1949)
• James Simmons (1933–2001)
• Geoffrey Squires (born 1942)

T

• Gerald J. Tate (born 1954)
• Sam Thompson (1916–1965)
• Joseph Tomelty (1911–1995)

W

• James White (1928–1999)
• Robert McLiam Wilson (born 1964)

Y

• Ella Young (1865–1951)

See also

• Literature of Northern Ireland

References

• Irish Playography
• The Encyclopaedia of Ireland, Gill and Macmillan, Dublin, 2003
• Irish Writers Online
• Culture Northern Ireland
• Arts Council of Northern Ireland