Britain’s rich literary heritage produced several British authors that wrote great masterpieces. Some of the most famous British books made significant impact on the contemporary world literature and inspired the production of extravagant blockbuster movies.
So here is a partial list of Britain’s great contemporary authors and the books that they published.
The Fantasy Adventure Genre
When you survey contemporary fantasy adventure works produced by UK’s top authors, you should not miss J.R.R Tolkien. Tolkien wrote the world famous The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Tolkien is one of the many British authors who received international accolades after they died. His books, including The Hobbit, continue to sell widely.
Another famous fantasy adventure author is Joanne K. Rowling. JK Rowling is an award winning author who wrote the Harry Potter series. Rowling’s books continue to dominate the world’s best seller lists until now.
Britain’s Most Famous Children’s Writers
Jacqueline Wilson is one of the most famous British authors writing contemporary children’s literature. Wilson is renowned for her famous children stories as well as novels about children. Her famous published books include The Story of Tracey Beaker and Girls in Love.
Jacqueline Wilson received a distinction as Britain’s Children Laureate. She still writes novels and short stories about British children facing real problems in a contemporary world.
Another great children’s writer is Quentin Blake. Every child in England loved the works and illustrations of this distinguished British author.
Quentin Blake is the first Children’s Laureate of England. He started his career as a cartoonist and children’s books illustrator. In 1968, he published his first novel Patrick. He received numerous awards for his children’s books and his novel Angelo was made into a children’s opera.
Contemporary Realism Genre
Most modern British novelists tackle modern problems and approach such subjects quite frankly. The realism of the novels of these authors accurately captures the dark and lighter side of humanity.
Irvin Welsh, an Edinburgh-born author, is probably one of the most popular modern writers in England. His book Trainspotting delved deep into the stark realism of urban youth in Edinburgh hooked on heroin.
Trainspotting was the first book published by Welsh. It was adapted into a movie and instantly made an impact in the indie and modern cinema. After Trainspotting, Irvin Welsh continue to produce human realist books such as Marabou Stork Nightmares.
Another contemporary realist writer who specializes in modern fiction is Rose Tremain. She was born in London and got her education at the Sorbonne University.
Tremain published her first novel in 1976. After her first book, she continued to write several novels that made into print. Rose Tremain is a recipient of several literary awards and Book of the Year awards.
Her famous novel The Colour, which she published in 2003, was included in the short list of the best books for the Orange Prize in 2004. The novel tells the story of the 1860 gold rush in New Zealand.
There are hundreds of contemporary British authors that have made significant impact on world literature, cinema, and theater. It simply shows that British literature is very vibrant and continues to produce world class novels and literary masterpieces.