Top 15 Best Living Famous Authors Today and Their Books

If you love writing and landed on this article, this will be one of the best decisions, because we will tell you about fifteen famous authors today who are alive. What’s in it for you? Well, we will discuss fifteen famous writers today and the books they’ve written. We will put some light on their lives and their approach to writing. All of this would help you get inspired and motivated to write better. You will study fiction and nonfiction writers, so this article will help you with whatever genre you write about.

You must have this quality in you

However, know that a good writer has a unique identity and something special about his writing. This sets them apart from others and makes their books loved by others. So, you must also have this quality in you if you want to prosper. Reading about popular authors today will act as a catalyst to improve your writing. So, before you move forward reading about popular authors, know that you will need a unique style in your writing. Moreover, if you have already written and published a book, but it is not getting enough sales, you can contact any good book marketing service. They will promote your book to its right audience so that you get maximum sales of your book/eBook.

List of Fifteen Best Living Authors and Their Famous Books in 2023

Below we will tell you about fifteen famous alive authors in 2023, and their best-selling books so that you can take all that information as fuel to boost your writing in every aspect.

1. Stephen King

One of the most popular names that almost everybody knows who reads books. Stephen King is an American fiction writer. His books mostly belong to genres like horror, supernatural, and crime. Stephen King is now in his 70s and has spent his life writing best-selling books that are popular all over the world. People love reading his books. He is one of the top best-selling authors of all time. Not only has he written successful novels but also more than one hundred short stories.

Awards Won by Stephen King

Stephen King has received several awards for his contributions to the writing industry and his books. He presented a unique writing approach and was rewarded in 2004 for his contribution to the literature world. He received the world fantasy life achievement award, which is a huge success for any writer. He also received several huge awards for his contributions to the literature world.

Early Life of Stephen King

Stephen King lost his friend in a train accident when he was a kid. He doesn’t clearly remember that event as a child, although it made him speechless for a long time. Some people say that event made him write intense novels. He also had some more events like this that can be traumatizing for any person.

Stephen King was an avid reader of horror comics in his childhood. He also won an award in his teenage years. He started writing in his childhood. He used to write articles and also sell stories to his friends. So, Stephen King started writing early on and had a keen interest in this field. He graduated in the English language from the University of Maine in 1970.

There is a significant number of best-selling books Stephen King has written. Below we will discuss two of his most famous works.

Famous Books of Stephen King

Have you seen the movie It? It’s one of the scariest movies ever made. Children especially have watched this film series a lot since it is based on kids who fight with a cannibal joker. It was basically a novel written by Stephen King in 1986. It is one of his most famous works of all time. If you have seen the movie It, you can imagine how good of a horror genre author Stephen King could be. His novel was so successful that a movie was made on his novel. The movie was released in 1990.

The Stand is Stephen King’s other all-time famous horror novel based on dark fantasy. It was published in 1978. You can realize the importance of Stephen King’s novels by the fact that this novel also has a movie made on it.

What is Stephen King Interested in?

Stephen King was interested in music as well. He has collaborated with Michael Jackson and helped him in making his music video. He believed that one has to dedicate 4-6 hours per day to reading and writing. Moreover, he believed that it’s impossible to become a good writer if one couldn’t take time for that.

2. J.K. Rowling

Why doesn’t J.K. Rowling? Someone who hasn’t heard about Harry Potter would not know who J.K. Rowling is. She’s one of the most famous British novelists who is famous worldwide. She originally wrote the Harry Potter movie series you watch today. Joanne Rowling is her real name. However, she’s famous in the writing industry as J.K. Rowling. Rowling has been loved all over the world since her novel Harry Potter was translated into 70 plus languages and sold more than 500 million book copies.

Awards Won by J.K. Rowling

Let alone her total number of awards, J.K. Rowling receives numerous awards and accolades for Harry Potter only. Her book Prisoner of Azkaban won the Book of the year award in 2000 against someone who had won a Nobel prize. It was quite an achievement for J.K. Rowling. Other than that, J.K. Rowling won several awards for her literary work that also including her children’s literature work. She won the British awards and also from Spain, France, and other countries. She also won the Most Influential Woman in the UK award.

Early Life of J.K. Rowling

When she was little, she used to live near a family named Potters. It was her favourite name since her childhood. Due to her parent’s love for books, her home was filled with books. She grew up in an environment where she saw books around her. J.K. Rowling has a sister. Their parents used to read different books to their daughters. When Rowling was six years old, she wrote her first book. It was actually a horror story named ‘Rabbit.’ She wrote another short story named ‘The Seven Cursed Diamonds’ when she was 11 years old. 

Rowling became an avid reader in her childhood. Because her mom was diagnosed with a disease, she had to give up on her job. Due to her mother’s illness, her teenage years went into suffering.

Education

Not only was she an avid reader, but also a bright student. She was very good at her academic studies. J.K. Rowling was also interested in learning other languages than English. She went to Paris and earned a bachelor of arts degree in French in 1987.

Famous Books of J.K. Rowling

She had written numerous books on the Harry Potter series including her first novel. Harry Potter was her most prominent work that is loved worldwide. Her other novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013), was also a bestseller. It was a crime thriller. The fun fact about her Harry Potter novel is that it was rejected several times before it was published. Rowling didn’t give up and kept improving her work. Eventually, she became the author of one best-selling novel of all time.

What is J.K. Rowling Interested in?

Like Stephen King, Rowling was also interested in music and loved playing heavy electric guitar. However, she didn’t monetize this interest of hers. She also took an active part in politics and donated money for the welfare of her country’s people, especially to the labour party.

3. John Green

If a movie is based on a novel, it’s a good novel. John Green is a young American author, now in his 40s, and has written the novel The Fault in Our Stars. Another bestseller novel. A movie is based on his novel too. Like his novel, the movie was also a hit and a huge box office success. Besides this, his novel Paper Town also got a movie on it.

Awards Won by John Green

John Green has won several awards for his novels and also for his notable other works. He received four awards for his three novels. One of his novels won two different awards, which was quite an achievement. He also received one award for the content he makes online. We’ll talk about it in the upcoming sections.

Early Life of John Green

Like the above two authors we discussed, John Green didn’t start writing when he was a child. He worked as a clerk in a hospital as his first job. In his teen life, when he was studying, he used to get bullied by his fellows. He stated that this made his life miserable at that point. The fun fact is that the above two authors we discussed also got bullied in their school, college, or university lives.

John Green did double graduation, one in English language and another in Religious studies, from Kenyon College in 2000. He thought about becoming a priest, but as he worked in a hospital and saw children suffering and fighting diseases, he chose to become an author. Eventually, he wrote the novel The Fault in Our Stars, which is based on the same topic—two people afflicted with Cancer.

Famous Books of John Green

The fault in our stars which was published in the year 2012, was the most successful work of John Green. Another novel he published, Looking for Alaska in 2005, was also a bestseller. It was his first novel, and he won an award for it. It’s a great accomplishment for a writer to win an award for his debut book. His other novels were also successful and got awards, and one of them was only nominated for the awards.

What is John Green Interested in?

If you get to know about the activities John Green has been involved in, you might think about how he got time to write best-selling novels. But he’s an all-rounder who managed all the things at once and even made them successful. However, once, he had to take a break from social media because he wanted to work on his book. Below is the list of things John Green works on

• Radio
• Several YouTube channels
• Provides Coaching to writers
• Fundraising

4. Elif Shafak

Elif Shafak is a Turkish novelist famous for his book Forty Rules of Love. She writes both in Turkish and English. She writes both fiction and nonfiction. Like J.K. Rowling, Elif Shafak’s books have been translated into fifty-plus languages. Because she’s a Turkish writer, her literary work suits both the western and eastern worlds, she’s also an activist and does other things along with writing books. However, her novels are also based on issues that happen in societies. She uses her creativity to address those problems in her novels to bring change. And she also works directly to solve those issues.

Awards Won by Elif Shafak

Since Elif Shafak is not only a writer but is also involved in politics, she has won numerous awards for her social and political work. However, she is recognized for her literary work worldwide. Last year, Elif Shafak was included in the BBC’s list of 100 most inspiring and influential women. She also won more non-literary awards for raising her voice against different societal issues.

For her books, she has won both national and international awards. She won the Rumi award for her first novel in 1998. Rumi is a Turkish literary award. Two years later, she won another ‘Best Novel’ award for her novel Mahrem (The Gaze).

Early Life of Elif Shafak

Elif Shafak is a Turkish novelist who was born in France. She was raised in Turkey. While she was growing up, she had no male members in her family. Her mother and grandmother took care of her. She later met her half-brothers in her mid-twenties.

Elif Shafak has a Ph.D. in political science and taught at several universities in Turkey.

Famous Books of Elif Shafak

Her two books are quite famous compared to the rest of her literary work. Those two books are Forty Rules of Love and Bastard of Istanbul. However, almost every book had been nominated for awards, and she won awards for some of them. If we count her total number of books, she has written 19 books, including fiction and nonfiction.

What is Elif Shafak Walker Interested in?

It seems like Elif Shafak always had a purpose behind writing a book, including her novels. She chooses storytelling to describe important issues. She had gotten into trouble for that as well, as she once spent three years in jail. Besides her literary work, she also actively participates in politics and social activities. She had signed petitions several times for things she thought were not right, as she’s taught in universities and writes essays on several topics. Her impactful work has even inspired others to seek out professional writing services to better articulate their own thoughts on important social issues.

5. Alice Walker

She’s an African-American novelist, poet, and social activist. She’s currently in her late 70’s. Due to an accident in her childhood, she became blind in one eye. Her family didn’t have enough resources and convenience at that time. Therefore, after some time, she was able to get her eye surgery. However, the scar was still there even after her eye operation.

Awards Won by Alice Walker

Because of her active participation in social activities, she received the Humanist of the year award from the American Humanist Association in 1997. She received more than one award for her famous novel The Color Purple. She has also won several honorary awards for her social works.

Early Life of Alice Walker

Alice Walker’s life can pretty much resemble Elif Shafak’s life. Her brought-up was middle class. However, she has always been a bright student. Because of it, she received many scholarships and got the opportunity to study in the USA. Although, prior to that, she had experienced racism when she was not allowed to study with white students in the school. She studied separately, sitting with black students. Later on, she addressed this racism issue in her many literary works. Alice Walker studied at Sarah Lawrence College and graduated in 1965.

Famous Books of Alice Walker

She has written several novels, short stories, nonfiction books, and poetry too. She started her writing career by writing poems. She used to give those writings to her seniors by passing them beneath their office doors. This was her unique trait and helped her poetry collection get published four years later after that. The book was titled Once. While doing her job, she published her first novel, The Third Life of Grange Copeland. Six years later, she published another novel, Meridian. She crafted her life experiences in that novel. Again, six years later, he published her third novel, The Color Purple. She talked about racism and sexism in it. It became her most prominent work and bestselling book. It was good enough that a film was made based on that novel.

What is Alice Walker Interested in?

Alice Walker was a social activist by nature. Most of her literary work discusses issues such as racism, sexism, etc. She has been the victim of all these things and thus channeled her voice through writing and working directly as an activist.

6. Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan-American novelist who is in his late fifties now. He’s also a UN (United Nations) member, where he acts as a UNHCR goodwill ambassador. Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan but has spent a part of his early life in Iran and France. After that, he went to the USA and returned to Afghanistan in 2003.

Awards Won by Khaled Hosseini

A year later, after his first book was published, he received an award. His second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, also received three awards. His third novel received one award too. All of his novels were successful, and he won awards for them.

Early Life of Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini’s childhood was, however, safe from physical threats, but since he left Afghanistan with his daily life before the wars that happened in the late 70s in Afghanistan, he has lost friends and relatives. He once said that his family never actually knew what happened to their relatives as some of them were killed or imprisoned, and some just disappeared. Khaled’s parents were educated as his father was in the Ministry, and his mother was a teacher. He continued his studies in the USA and graduated in Biology in 1988. After that, he worked as a physician but later on left his job; he was able to make money through his famous novel The Kite Runner. Therefore, he decided to make writing his full-time work. However, before then, he earned a doctorate in medicine and worked for 10+ years in medicine.

Famous Books of Khaled Hosseini

Khaled published his first novel, The Kite Runner, in 2003. It became his most prominent work because the book was a bestseller. A movie is also based on this novel. It has the same title, The Kite Runner. He also wrote two more novels, A Thousand Splendid Suns and And the Mountains Echoed.

What is Alice Walker Interested in?

In his novel-based movie, he also appears in one scene. Khaled Hosseini runs the Khaled Hosseini Foundation. He also works as a Goodwill Envoy for the UNHCR and helps Afghanistan refugees.

7. Brian Evenson

He belongs to the same era as Khaled Hosseini; he’s also in his mid-fifties. Brain Evenson is an American fiction writer. His fiction work is a little different from other authors as he puts an element of philosophy in them.

Awards Won by Brian Evenson

He has written very good horror novels and got awarded by International Horror Guild for one of his novels. He also received a prize for another horror novel. Brian has received awards for the rest of his literary work and songs too. If you look at his awards, they are enough to tell that he’s a successful fiction author.

Early Life of Brian Evenson

In the early years of his life, Brian worked for two few years in Churches in France and Switzerland. He also faced some trouble there due to the culture he experienced there.

Famous Books of Brian Evenson

The open curtain is one of Brian Evenson’s famous books. He received two awards for this novel.

What is Brian Evenson Interested in?

Brian Evenson is an author but has also taught creative writing in different academic institutes in the USA. He also has translated some French books into English. He graduated from the University of Washington. Brian also holds a Ph.D. degree in literature and critical theory. He has also taught in several academic institutes such as OSU, DU, and Brown University. He visited Japan thirty years after he left.

8. Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo is a Japanese-born English novelist, screenwriter and also musician. He didn’t spend much time in Japan as he moved to Britain when he was five years old. Due to that, he never wrote anything in Japanese, and all his literary work was in English. His preferred genre is science, history, and drama. He incorporates the elements of these genres in his fiction writing.

Awards Won by Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo Ishiguro won the Nobel prize in literature in 2017. His novel Klara and the Sun was longlisted for the Booker Prize. He talked about real-world issues in this novel, such as the drawbacks of technology advancement, the life of a human being, and the world’s future.

Early Life of Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy. He also holds a Master’s Degree in creative writing.

Famous Books of Kazuo Ishiguro

One of the most prominent works of Kazuo Ishiguro was his novel The Remains of the Day. A film was also made on this novel. His other novel, Never let me Go, was also a bestseller.

What is Kazuo Ishiguro Interested in?

Kazuo Ishiguro has been interested in music since his childhood. He was obsessed with music and wanted to learn to play musical instruments. He learned how to play the guitar and how to write lyrics as he wanted to become a songwriter. However, later on, he decided to leave this career as he did not fit into it well enough.

9. Marilynne Robinson

Marilynne Robinson is a senior American novelist and essayist. She’s in her late seventies. She has been successful throughout her writing career and in other things as well that she did.

Awards Won by Marilynne Robinson

She has won several awards. She won the Hemingway Foundation award for her first novel Housekeeping. If you look at her accomplishments, you’ll see that she has won awards almost every year since she began. Nearly all the awards she has won are for her literary work. However, she has also been included in the Times Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list.

Early Life of Marilynne Robinson

Marilynne received her BA degree in 1966 from Brown University. Later she did PH.D. from the University of Washington in 1977. She did PHDin the English language.

Famous Books of Marilynne Robinson

The novel Housekeeping is her most popular and best-selling book. Twenty-four years later, she wrote the novel Housekeeping. She continued it by writing another novel Gilead. It’s a sequel to her first novel Housekeeping. Both of these novels became very popular.

What is Marilynne Robinson Interested in?

She was an active participant in political issues. She got the opportunity to talk with US President Barack Obama on some country issues. Barack Obama also mentioned her in his speeches.

10. Jerry Jenkins

Jerry Bruce Jenkins, also known as Jerry Jenkins, is an American novelist. However, he has also written self-help books, biographies, and fiction books. If we talk about quantity, Jerry Jenkins has written books more than any other author. He has written over 200 books that include both fiction and nonfiction.

Awards Won by Jerry Jenkins

His novel series Left Behind is one of the most extended series of books ever written. However, he hasn’t won any official award for his work. Still, he has been included in many prominent magazines in the USA, such as Reader’s Digest, Time’s Magazine, and more.

Early Life of Jerry Jenkins

Jerry Jenkins’s novels would reflect his interest in talking about religion. He has studied at MBI, which is a private Bible college.

Famous Books of Jerry Jenkins

Left Behind is Jerry Jenkins’s best literary work. It’s a long novel series. There are several movies made based on this novel series. His other novel, Riven, is also a bestseller.

What is Jerry Jenkins Interested in?

Jerry Jenkins has a blog and actively teaches new writers how to write better fiction. He had played sports as well and also worried as a sports reporter.

11. Michael Chabon

Michael Chabon is an American novelist, screenwriter and columnist. He’s almost 60 and is popular for his onscreen work. His literary work is unique in its way since he uses a lot of metaphors in his writing. He has discussed many family issues in his writing.

Awards Won by Michael Chabon

He has a different perspective on awards and relatable things. After his first novel became a bestseller, he was offered to be included in the 50 Most Beautiful People list, but he rejected it. However, he owned the awards that were for his work. He has won the most honorary awards compared to the other authors we discussed.

Early Life of Michael Chabon

He holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of California. When he was ten, he wrote a story for his class assignment and got an A. After that, he decided to become a writer. He graduated in 1984 from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts. After that, he did Masters in Creative Writing from the University of California.

Famous Books of Michael Chabon

His first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, became a huge success. There’s an interesting story behind it. He was writing it for his Master’s thesis. He sent it to the publisher without informing his professors. The publishing house called him and paid him a significant amount for his novel. His novel got published and became a bestseller.

What is Michael Chabon Interested in?

Michael Chabon was somehow active in politics. He once supported Barack Obama during his election campaigns. Because of his interest in politics, he also worked as a columnist. He has also written short stories.

12. Rachel Kushner

Rachel Kushner is an American novelist. Both of her parents were communist scientists.

Awards Won by Rachel Kushner

She had been selected as a finalist for most of her novels. She has won a French Literary award. Besides that, she also won other awards and honours for her literary work.

Early Life of Rachel Kushner

While she was growing up, her mother used to teach her after she came home from school. They used to visit a bookstore, and ever since, she said she knew that she was going to be a writer. She went to study in Italy, and after she graduated in political economy, she moved back to the USA. She holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from California University.

Famous Books of Rachel Kushner

She wrote her first novel after getting her Master’s degree in 2000. She spent six years writing her first novel Telex from Cuba. She visited Cuba several times in her process of writing the book. Her hard work benefited her as her novel became a bestseller after it was published in 2008. She had been selected as a finalist for many of her novels. She also won several awards and honours for her literary work.

What is Rachel Kushner Interested in?

Apart from writing novels, Rachel has also written about contemporary art, which was recognized and published by the international magazine Artforum. He also writes for different American magazines. Since he’s more prone to writing stories and not novels, he has won awards for his short stories.

13. George Saunders

He’s an American writer but not primarily known for his novels, although he has written them. He’s most famous for his short stories, novellas, children’s books and essays. He also writes for different American magazines. Since he’s more prone to writing stories and not novels, he has won awards for his short stories.

Awards Won by George Saunders

When he was teaching at Syracuse University, he won National Magazine Awards for many years. He wrote a short story, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, which was animated in 1996 Hemingway Awards. He has won so many awards for his several short stories and other literary work.

Early Life of George Saunders

George Saunders holds a Bachelor of Science degree in geophysical engineering. He didn’t utilize his degree long enough to work in a place where he could practice what he studied. Instead, he chose writing as a career. However, he once talked about how this degree had a good effect on his writing. Later on, he did Masters in Creative Writing from Syracuse University.

Famous Books of George Saunders

His short story The 400-Pound CEO won the National Magazine Award in 1994. Moreover, his short stories like Bounty, The Barber’s Unhappiness, The Red Bow, and The Falls also won National Magazine Awards. Besides that, he has also won several awards for his performance and literary work.

What is George Saunders Interested in?

Initially, he worked as a geophysical engineer. Then he worked in the same field as a technical writer. However, after that, he switched to creative writing. Some of his fiction writing is based on the stories of corporate culture, consumerism, and related things.

14. Jonathan Franzen

He’s an American novelist who is not only famous for his literary work but also for his opinions on some issues. We’ll talk about that in upcoming sections. Jonathan’s parents have their origin from different countries. His father was Swedish, while his mother was from Eastern Europe.

Awards Won by Jonathan Franzen

He received four awards for his novel Freedom and three awards for his novel The Corrections. He has also won awards for his other novels alongside receiving a significant number of honorary recognition for his contribution to literature.

Early Life of Jonathan Franzen

Jonathan went to Germany for his studies, and because of that, he speaks fluent German. He went there on a scholarship.

Famous Books of Jonathan Franzen

The Corrections and Freedom are the two most famous novels by Jonathan Franzen. Apart from that, he has also written novels such as How to Be Alone and many others.

What is Jonathan Franzen Interested in?

Jonathan loves watching birds flying in the sky. He stated that and talked about his love for birds on the CBS Morning Show in 2018. He has also worked for the American Bird Conservancy.

15. Mark Manson

The famous author of the modern age who is famous among young people is Mark Manson. He’s the youngest author on our list and is famous for his self-help books. Mark Manson is an American author and blogger and is popular for his unique opinions about the human’s approach to life.

Awards Won by Mark Manson

Mark Manson hasn’t won any awards, but his current books have been bestsellers.

Early Life Mark Manson

The rise of his writing career began after he graduated from Boston University and wrote his first web article about dating advice.

Famous Books of Mark Manson

Mark Manson is famous for his bestselling book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F. His other bestseller is Everything Is Fucked: A Book About Hope. Both of these books have been New York Times bestsellers and have sold millions of copies.

What is Mark Manson Interested in?

Mark Manson has a blog where he talks about dating advice for men. He started blogging years before he began writing books.