15 Best Writers Of The 21st Century

15 Best Writers of the 21st Century is a list of writers that are the best of the best of the 21st century. Here we will describe these talented writers who have made significant contributions to literature.

So without further ado, let’s jump into the list and descriptions.

15 Best Writers Of The 21st Century

Here are notable best writers of the 21st Century who have made significant contributions to the literature:

1. J.K. Rowling: One of the best writers of the 21st Century, best known for the Harry Potter series. Her name is J.K. Rowling, born on 31 July 1965. She conceived the idea for Harry Potter in 1990 and published the first book in 1997.

The series has sold over 600 million copies and haver been adapted into films and other media. She also wrote under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith and is known for her philanthropy.

J.K. Rowling’s Best Works:

• The Harry Potter Series

  

• Cormoran Strike Series

  

• The Ickabog

  

• Casual Vacancy

  

2. Zadie Smith: A British novelist and essayist celebrated for her Debut Novel “White Teeth” which presented her insightful exploration of race, religion, and cultural identity. In addition to her literary career, she also is a professor of creative writing at New York University.

She has also been listed as one of Granta’s 20 best young British Novelists. As such she can easily be considered among the best writers of the 21st century.

Zadie Smith’s Best works:

• The Authorgraph Man

  

• On Beauty

  

• NW

  

• Swing Time

  

3. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: She is a distinguished Nigerian writer, born on 15 September 1977. She is known for her novels, short stories, and nonfiction works that often have the themes of identity, feminism, and the African experience in the global context.

Adichie’s voice and perspective have earned her recognition as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015 and one of Fortune Magazine’s 50 Greatest Leaders in 2017 and one of the best writers of the 21st century.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Best Works:

• Half of a Yellow Sun

  

• Americanah

  

• We Should All Be Feminists

  

• Purple Hibiscus

  

4. Cormac McCarthy: An American novelist and playwright born in 1933 on July 20th. He was known for his distinctive writing style making him one of the best writers of the 21st century.

His writing style included sparse punctuation and attribution and his graphic depictions of violence. Spanning the genre of southern gothic western, and post-apocalyptic genres his works were very popular and in their league.

Cormac McCarthy’s Best works:

• Suttree

  

• Blood Meridian

  

• Border Trilogy

  

• No Country For Old Men

  

5. Elena Ferrante: Elena Ferrante Is the Pseudonym of an anonymous Italian author, best known for her series of Neapolitan Novels. Her works explore the complexities of being a contemporary educated woman, with themes of friendship, identity, and the female experience.

Her novels have been translated into many languages and have garnered international recognition easily making her one of the best writers of the 21st century. Time Magazines have named her one of the 100 most influential people in 2016.

Elena Ferrante Best Works:

• My Brilliant Friend

  

• The Story of a New Name

  

• Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay

  

• The Story of a Lost Child

  

6. George Saunders: He is an American writer known for his short stories, essays, novellas, and children’s books, He was born in 1958 on December 2. His distinctive literary voice has earned him widespread acclaim.

He won the MacArthur Fellowship in 2006 and the PEN Award in 2013 for his contributions to literature making him easily one of the best writers of the 21st century.

George Saunders’s Best Works:

• CivilWarLand In Bad Decline

  

• Pastoralia

  

• Tenth of December

  

• Lincoln In The Bardo

  

7. Hilary Mantel: A celebrated British author, born on July 6, 1952, and passed away on September 22, 2022. She was renowned for her historical fiction, personal memoirs, and short stories, Her writing career went on to write 12 novels, two collections of short stories a personal memoir, and numerous articles and opinion pieces.

Her work is criticized as sharp wit, stylistic daring, and deep historical insight making her one of the best writers of the 21st century.

Hilary Mantel’s Best Works:

• Thomas Cromwell Trilogy

  

• Every Day is Mother’s Day

  

• Vacant Possession

  

• Giving Up Ghost

  

8. Ian McEwan: He is a British novelist and screenwriter, born in 1948. He is known for his compelling storytelling and has been featured on the Times list of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945 and ranked by the Daily Telegraph among the 100 most powerful people in British culture.

Often writing complex moral issues and human dilemmas McEwan is certainly one of the best writers of the 21st century for his contemporary literature.

Ian McEwan’s Best works:

• Enduring Love

  

• Atonement

  

• The Children Act

  

• Amsterdam

  

9. Margaret Atwood: She is a Canadian writer renowned for her prose fiction and feminist perspective. Was born on 18, November 1939. She has published a wide range of literary works, including novels, poetry, and essays.

Her work often spans the themes of gender and identity, religion and myth, and the power of language and climate change, she has received numerous awards and honors, including two Booker prizes. She can easily be counted among the best writers of the 21st century.

Margaret Atwood’s best works:

• The Handmaid’s Tale

  

• Alias Grace

  

• The Blind Assassin

  

• Oryx and Crake

  

10. Marilynne Robinson: An American novelist and essayist, born on November 26, 1943, in Standpoint, Idaho. She is highly regarded for her thoughtful exploration of faith and rural life in her novels.

She has won numerous awards throughout her career, including the National Humanities Medal in 2012 and the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction in 2016. Time Magazine also named her one of the 100 most influential people in 2016, easily making her one of the best writers of the 21st century.

Marilynne Robinson’s Best Works:

• Housekeeping

  

• Gilead

  

• Home

  

• Lila

  

11. Veronica Roth: She is an American novelist and short story writer born on August 19, 1988, in New York City. She is best known for her Divergent trilogy, a series of young adult novels that are in the science-fiction genre set in a post-apocalyptic world. the trilogy has sold over 35 million copies worldwide.

She has written many other young adult novels outside of the said series and continues to engage readers with her compelling storytelling and richly imagined worlds and can be considered one of the best writers of the 21st century for it.

Veronica Roth’s Best Works:

• Divergent Trilogy

  

• The End and Other Beginnings

  

• The Shards and Ashes Anthology

  

12. Colson Whitehead: An American author known for his innovative novels that often explore social themes like racism while also incorporating elements of the fantastical.

He has achieved a brilliant feat as he won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for two consecutive books making him easily one of the best writers of the 21st century. He also received the MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 and has been often referred to as the ‘genus grant’.

Colson Whitehead’s Best works:

• The Intuitionist

  

• John Henry Days

  

• Zone One

  

• Harlem Shuffle

  

13. David Mitchell: Known for his lyrical prose style and complex narrative structures. Mitchell was raised in Worchestershire and later attended the University of Kent. His novels are seen to incorporate various genres and feature intricate plots with interlinking stories.

His work has also gained fame for having originality and depth. He was also named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine in 2007 making him one of the best writers of the 21st century.

David Mitchell’s Best Works:

• Ghostwritten

  

• Number9dream

  

• Cloud Atlas

  

• The Thousand Autumns Of Jacob de Zoet

  

14. Jennifer Egan: She is an American Novelist and short-story writer, born in 1962. Egan is widely recognized for her Novel “A Visit from the Goon Squad” which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2011 and the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.

Known for her innovative narrative techniques. She also explores the themes of time, music, and the passage of life in her literature making her one of the best writers of the 21st century. She has been an Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Jennifer Egan’s Best Works:

• The Invisible Circus

  

• A Visit From The Goon Squad

  

• Look At Me

  

• The Keep

  

15. Neil Gaiman: He is one of the most celebrated writers in the realm of modern comics and fantasy literature. easily considered one of the best writers of the 21st century. His name was made from the world of comics with the groundbreaking series “The Sandman” which also was one of the first comics to ever receive a literary award.

His work is especially known for his blending of myth, fantasy, and horrors, often with a darkly humorous tone. His influence even goes beyond his literature and is a prolific user of social media to communicate with his audience and was one of the first writers to establish a blog.

Neil Gaiman’s Best Works: 

• American Gods

  

• Coraline

  

• The Graveyard Book

  

• Good Omens

  

All these authors have diverse styles and address a wide range of themes in their works. Their contributions have enriched the literary world, offering readers the chance to experience different worlds through their storytelling.

Whether you are interested in fiction, non-fiction, or genre-specific works, within the best writers of the 21st century, you will find things that are suited for everyone. If you want to know more about the writers of the 21st Century you can always find more from the source.