There are 72 authors that start with the letter I. From Iacopo Barison to Izumi Suzuki. Authors are individuals who create written works, spanning a broad range of genres and forms, including novels, short stories, poetry, essays, and plays. The role of an author can vary significantly depending on cultural and historical contexts, but they often serve as observers and commentators on society, weaving together themes of human experience through their narratives. Throughout history, authors have played a pivotal role in shaping cultural identities, influencing public opinion, and fostering literacy through their contributions. Notable authors often leave a lasting legacy, inspiring future generations of writers and readers alike.

An interesting fun fact about authors is that many of the most celebrated works in literature, such as “1984” by George Orwell and “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, were created under pseudonyms. Authors sometimes adopt alternate names to separate their writing identities from their personal lives, to avoid persecution, or to write in different genres without the constraints of their established reputation.

Here’s what each of the columns in the table means:

Column Name: Here, “nationality” refers to the country or countries with which the author is associated, reflecting their cultural background and influence.

Column Name: “Genre” denotes the specific category of literature to which the author’s works belong, such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or drama.

Column Name: “Notable works” lists significant titles authored by the individual, often recognized as their most important or influential contributions to literature.

Column Name: “Description” provides a brief summary of the author’s life, career, and contributions to literature, giving context to their significance as a writer.

Authors That Start With I

Authors nationality genre notable works
Iacopo Barison Italian Fiction, Non-Fiction ‘The Venetian Twins’, ‘Venice: A Thousand Years of Culture and Civilization’
Iain Pears British Historical fiction, Mystery An Instance of the Fingerpost, The Dream of Scipio
Iain Sinclair British Psychogeography, Non-fiction London Orbital, Downriver
Ian Banks Scottish Fiction, Science fiction The Wasp Factory, The Crow Road, Complicity
Ian Buruma Dutch Non-Fiction, Biography ‘The Wages of Guilt’, ‘Murder in Amsterdam’
Ian Dury British Fiction, Poetry ‘New Boots and Panties!!’, ‘Lord Upminster’
Ian Falconer American Children’s Literature ‘Olivia’ series
Ian Fleming British Spy fiction James Bond novels (Casino Royale, Goldfinger, etc.)
Ian Hamilton Canadian Non-Fiction, Biography ‘The Far Eastern Packet’, ‘The Price of Glory’
Ian Kershaw British Non-Fiction, History ‘Hitler’ biography, ‘Luck of the Devil’
Ian McEwan British Fiction ‘Atonement’, ‘Saturday’
Ian Rankin Scottish Fiction, Mystery ‘Inspector Rebus’ series
Ian Teh British Photography ‘Confluence’, ‘Traces’
Ian Tregillis American Science Fiction, Fantasy ‘Milkweed Triptych’, ‘The Mechanical’
Ibn Taymiyyah Syrian theology, philosophy ‘al-Istiq?mah’ (The Straightening), ‘Iqtid?’ al-?ir?? al-Mustaq?m’ (Necessitating the Straight Path)
Iceberg Slim American Autobiographical fiction Pimp: The Story of My Life
Ichiro Kishimi Japanese philosophy ‘The Courage to Be Disliked’, ‘The Courage to Show Up’
Ida Fink Polish Fiction, Holocaust Literature A Scrap of Time, The Journey
Idris Elba British Memoir The Narrator
Ignazio Silone Italian Fiction Fontamara, Bread and Wine
Igor Stravinsky Russian Music, Autobiography Poetics of Music, An Autobiography
Ijeoma Oluo American non-fiction, social commentary ‘So You Want to Talk About Race’, ‘Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America’
Ik-Sang Yoo South Korean Fiction The Dwarf, The Nova
Ilan Pappe Israeli history, politics ‘The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine’, ‘The Idea of Israel’
Ilan Stavans Mexican-American Non-fiction, Literary criticism Spanglish: The Making of a New American Language, Imagining Columbus: The Literary Voyage
Ildefonso Falcones Spanish Historical fiction The Cathedral of the Sea
Ileana Rozylowicz Romanian Poetry Dragoste �n vremuri de razboi
Ilija Trojanow Bulgarian-German fiction, non-fiction ‘The Collector of Worlds’, ‘Along the Ganges’
Ilka Papp-Zakor Hungarian Fiction Az ajt�
Imin Yeh Chinese-American Poetry Bling Blang
Immanuel Kant German Philosophy Critique of Pure Reason, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
Ina Bertrand German Fiction Die Krone der Sch�pfung, Die Frau im Spiegel
Ina Caro American Non-fiction, Travel writing The Road from the Past: Traveling through History in France
Inda Ahmad Zahri Malaysian Poetry, Fiction Hujan Pagi
India Arie American Autobiography, Music Songversation: Music, Miracles & Metaphysics
India Hill Brown American Children’s fiction The Forgotten Girl
Inga Abele Latvian Fiction, Non-fiction Gai?u kekss, Debesskr?pji
Ingeborg Bachmann Austrian Poetry, Fiction, Drama Malina, Das drei�igste Jahr
Inger Christensen Danish Poetry it, alphabet
Ingmar Bergman Swedish Fiction, Screenwriting The Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander
Ingo Schulze German Fiction Simple Stories, New Lives
Ingrid Betancourt Colombian Memoir Even Silence Has an End: My Six Years of Captivity in the Colombian Jungle
Ingrid Noll German Crime fiction The Pharmacist, The Grudge
Ingrid Winterbach South African Fiction The Elusive Moth, To Hell with Cronje
Inna Borisiuk Ukrainian Fiction Bilani, Prosto tak
Inna Kukuruza Ukrainian Fiction The House with the Lilacs, The Diary of a Gulag Prison Guard
Inoshi Okazaki Japanese Fiction Byakuya no Fuchi
Intan Paramaditha Indonesian Fiction Apple and Knife, The Wandering
Ira Levin American Fiction, Thriller Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives
Irene Nemirovsky French Fiction Suite Fran�aise, Fire in the Blood
Irma Voth Canadian Fiction Irma Voth
Isaac Asimov American Science fiction, Non-fiction Foundation series, I, Robot
Isaac Bashevis Singer Polish-American Fiction The Slave, The Manor
Isabel Allende Chilean Fiction, Magical realism The House of the Spirits, Eva Luna
Isabel Coixet Spanish Film, Non-fiction Elegy, My Life Without Me
Isabel Greenberg British Graphic novels The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, Glass Town
Isabel Wilkerson American Non-fiction The Warmth of Other Suns, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Isabella Bird British Travel writing, Non-fiction A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, The Yangtze Valley and Beyond
Isabella Bruschi Italian Fiction Amara Terra
Isabella Hammad Palestinian-British Fiction The Parisian
Isadora Duncan American Autobiography, Dance My Life
Ishmael Reed American Fiction, Poetry Mumbo Jumbo, The Last Days of Louisiana Red
Ismail Kadare Albanian Fiction, Poetry The General of the Dead Army, Broken April
Ismat Chughtai Indian Fiction The Quilt and Other Stories, A Life in Words
Issa Rae American Television, Memoir The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, The New York Times Bestseller
Issac Bashevis Singer Polish-American Fiction The Slave, The Manor
Italo Calvino Italian Fiction Invisible Cities, If on a winter’s night a traveler
Ito Ogawa Japanese Fiction The Restaurant of Love Regained
Ivan Bunin Russian Fiction, Poetry The Village, The Gentleman from San Francisco
Ivan Doig American Fiction, Memoir This House of Sky, The Whistling Season
Ivan Turgenev Russian Fiction Fathers and Sons, Smoke
Izumi Suzuki Japanese Science fiction, Short stories Terminal Boredom

Descriptions

Iacopo Barison
Iacopo Barison is an Italian author known for his works exploring the history and culture of Venice, including the novel ‘The Venetian Twins’ and the non-fiction book ‘Venice: A Thousand Years of Culture and Civilization’.
Iain Pears
A British author known for his intricate historical novels and mystery stories, often with complex, nonlinear narratives.
Iain Sinclair
A British writer acclaimed for his psychogeographical explorations of London and other urban landscapes through non-fiction works.
Ian Banks
A prominent Scottish author known for his experimental novels and science fiction works, including the acclaimed Culture series.
Ian Buruma
Ian Buruma is a Dutch-British writer and historian, known for his insightful works on East Asian culture, politics, and the legacy of World War II, such as ‘The Wages of Guilt’ and ‘Murder in Amsterdam’.
Ian Dury
Ian Dury was a British singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, who gained fame as the frontman of the punk rock band Ian Dury and the Blockheads. He authored several collections of poetry and the semi-autobiographical novel ‘Lord Upminster’.
Ian Falconer
Ian Falconer is an American author and illustrator best known for the ‘Olivia’ series of children’s books, featuring the adventures of a precocious young pig named Olivia.
Ian Fleming
The creator of the iconic British spy James Bond, whose novels have been adapted into numerous successful films.
Ian Hamilton
Ian Hamilton was a Canadian historian and biographer, renowned for his meticulously researched works on East Asian history and culture, such as ‘The Far Eastern Packet’ and his acclaimed biography ‘The Price of Glory’.
Ian Kershaw
Ian Kershaw is a British historian, best known for his acclaimed two-volume biography of Adolf Hitler, as well as his work on the social history of Nazi Germany, including the book ‘Luck of the Devil’.
Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan is a renowned British novelist, known for his psychologically complex and critically acclaimed works of fiction, including the novels ‘Atonement’ and ‘Saturday’.
Ian Rankin
Ian Rankin is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his ‘Inspector Rebus’ series, featuring the complex and unconventional Edinburgh detective John Rebus, which have been widely praised for their gritty realism and social commentary.
Ian Teh
Ian Teh is a British photographer known for his evocative documentary work exploring the societal and environmental changes in China and other parts of Asia, including the photobooks ‘Confluence’ and ‘Traces’.
Ian Tregillis
Ian Tregillis is an American author of science fiction and fantasy, acclaimed for his ‘Milkweed Triptych’ alternate history series and his ‘The Mechanical’ novels, which blend elements of steampunk and speculative fiction.
Ibn Taymiyyah
Influential Islamic scholar and theologian known for his conservative interpretations of Sunni Islam and his criticism of certain Sufi practices.
Iceberg Slim
A highly influential African-American author whose gritty, semi-autobiographical novels about the urban underworld had a significant impact on crime literature and hip-hop culture.
Ichiro Kishimi
Japanese philosopher and author who introduces Adlerian psychology to a wider audience through his accessible and dialogue-driven works.
Ida Fink
Ida Fink was a Polish-Jewish writer known for her short stories exploring the experiences of Jews during the Holocaust. Her work provides a powerful and intimate perspective on the trauma and resilience of those who lived through the Nazi occupation.
Idris Elba
A renowned British actor known for his roles in The Wire, Luther, and other acclaimed television and film projects, who has also published a memoir.
Ignazio Silone
An Italian author and political activist whose novels often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class in Italy.
Igor Stravinsky
A highly influential Russian composer and conductor who was a central figure in the modernist movement in early 20th-century classical music, and who also wrote about music theory and his own life.
Ijeoma Oluo
American writer and speaker who explores issues of race, feminism, and social justice in her critically acclaimed non-fiction works.
Ik-Sang Yoo
South Korean author whose novels often focus on the lives of marginalized individuals in Korean society.
Ilan Pappe
Israeli historian and political activist known for his controversial, revisionist accounts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the history of Zionism.
Ilan Stavans
A Mexican-American academic, literary critic, and public intellectual known for his work on Latino culture, identity, and language.
Ildefonso Falcones
A Spanish author whose debut novel, The Cathedral of the Sea, was a bestselling historical fiction work set in 14th-century Barcelona.
Ileana Rozylowicz
A Romanian poet and writer known for her lyrical and deeply personal poetry exploring themes of love, war, and the human experience.
Ilija Trojanow
Bulgarian-German writer and ethnologist who explores themes of cultural exchange, migration, and the clash of civilizations in his diverse body of work.
Ilka Papp-Zakor
A Hungarian author whose novel ‘Az ajt�’ (The Door) is considered a modern classic of Hungarian literature.
Imin Yeh
A Chinese-American poet known for her experimental, multilingual poetry that often incorporates elements of visual art and technology.
Immanuel Kant
A seminal German philosopher whose influential works in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics laid the foundation for much of modern Western philosophy.
Ina Bertrand
German novelist and journalist, known for her novels that examine gender roles and societal expectations.
Ina Caro
An American author known for her non-fiction works that combine history, travel writing, and personal narrative, particularly her explorations of French history and culture.
Inda Ahmad Zahri
A Malaysian poet and fiction writer whose work often explores themes of identity, displacement, and the natural world.
India Arie
A Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter and musician who has also published an autobiography reflecting on her artistic journey and spiritual growth.
India Hill Brown
An American author of contemporary young adult and middle-grade fiction, known for her novel ‘The Forgotten Girl’ which explores themes of racism and the paranormal.
Inga Abele
Latvian writer and journalist, whose works often explore the complexities of the human experience and the impacts of historical events.
Ingeborg Bachmann
Austrian writer and poet, considered one of the most important German-language authors of the 20th century.
Inger Christensen
A renowned Danish poet whose experimental, conceptual works, such as the book-length poem ‘alphabet’, have been influential in Scandinavian and international poetry.
Ingmar Bergman
Renowned Swedish filmmaker, director, and screenwriter, known for his influential and introspective works.
Ingo Schulze
A contemporary German author known for his meticulously crafted, realistic fiction that often explores the social and political changes in post-reunification Germany.
Ingrid Betancourt
A Colombian-French politician and author whose memoir recounts her harrowing experience being held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for over six years.
Ingrid Noll
A prolific German author of psychological crime novels known for their dark humor and exploration of the human psyche.
Ingrid Winterbach
Ingrid Winterbach is a South African novelist and short story writer. Her works, often set against the backdrop of South African history and culture, delve into the complexities of identity, relationships, and the human experience.
Inna Borisiuk
Ukrainian novelist and short story writer, whose works often explore the complexities of life in post-Soviet Ukraine.
Inna Kukuruza
Inna Kukuruza is a Ukrainian writer known for her works of historical fiction, which often focus on the experiences of Ukrainians during the Soviet era. Her novels, such as The House with the Lilacs and The Diary of a Gulag Prison Guard, provide insights into the country’s turbulent past.
Inoshi Okazaki
A contemporary Japanese author whose lyrical, atmospheric novels often blend elements of magical realism with explorations of identity, memory, and the natural world.
Intan Paramaditha
Intan Paramaditha is an Indonesian writer and academic. Her works of fiction, often blending elements of horror, fantasy, and social commentary, explore themes of power, gender, and the intersection of local and global cultures.
Ira Levin
An acclaimed American author known for his suspenseful, genre-blending novels that often explore themes of paranoia, conformity, and the dark side of human nature.
Irene Nemirovsky
Ukrainian-born French novelist and short story writer, whose work was rediscovered after her death in Auschwitz.
Irma Voth
A Canadian author of Mennonite descent whose debut novel ‘Irma Voth’ explores themes of family, faith, and cultural identity within a Mennonite community in Mexico.
Isaac Asimov
A prolific American author considered one of the pioneers of the golden age of science fiction, known for his influential ‘Foundation’ series and other seminal works that explored themes of robotics, technology, and the future of humanity.
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Polish-American writer and Nobel laureate, known for his novels and short stories that explore Jewish life and culture.
Isabel Allende
A renowned Chilean author whose works, including the acclaimed novel ‘The House of the Spirits’, are known for their blend of magical realism, historical fiction, and exploration of social and political issues.
Isabel Coixet
A Spanish filmmaker and author whose work, including her memoir ‘My Life Without Me’, often explores themes of identity, loss, and the human condition.
Isabel Greenberg
A British author and illustrator known for her award-winning graphic novels that blend historical fiction, mythology, and magical realism.
Isabel Wilkerson
A Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and author whose non-fiction works, including ‘The Warmth of Other Suns’ and ‘Caste’, explore themes of race, migration, and social inequality in the United States.
Isabella Bird
A pioneering British travel writer and photographer whose vivid accounts of her journeys through the American West, Asia, and other regions helped expand the boundaries of Victorian-era travel literature.
Isabella Bruschi
An Italian author whose debut novel ‘Amara Terra’ explores themes of family, identity, and the legacies of fascism in post-war Italy.
Isabella Hammad
A Palestinian-British author whose debut novel ‘The Parisian’ is a sweeping historical fiction work that examines the Palestinian experience and identity during the early 20th century.
Isadora Duncan
A pioneering American dancer and choreographer whose autobiography ‘My Life’ recounts her influential role in the development of modern dance and her tumultuous personal life.
Ishmael Reed
An acclaimed African-American author known for his postmodern, satirical novels and poetry that challenge traditional narratives and explore themes of race, history, and culture.
Ismail Kadare
A renowned Albanian author whose novels and poems often explore the political and cultural history of Albania, as well as universal themes of power, identity, and the human condition.
Ismat Chughtai
A prominent Urdu-language writer from India known for her groundbreaking, socially conscious fiction that challenged traditional gender roles and sexual norms.
Issa Rae
An American actress, writer, producer, and creator of the acclaimed HBO series ‘Insecure’, who has also published a bestselling memoir about her journey in the entertainment industry.
Issac Bashevis Singer
A Polish-American author and Nobel laureate whose Yiddish-language fiction, often set in the Jewish communities of Poland, explored themes of mysticism, morality, and the human experience.
Italo Calvino
Italian novelist, journalist, and literary critic, known for his innovative and imaginative works.
Ito Ogawa
A Japanese author known for her delicate, character-driven novels that often explore themes of food, relationships, and the healing power of human connection.
Ivan Bunin
A Russian author and the first Russian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, known for his lyrical, melancholic fiction and poetry that captured the changing social landscape of pre-revolutionary Russia.
Ivan Doig
An American author whose novels and memoirs, often set in the American West, explored themes of family, memory, and the enduring human spirit.
Ivan Turgenev
A influential Russian novelist, playwright, and short story writer whose works, such as the novel ‘Fathers and Sons’, are considered masterpieces of 19th-century Russian literature and explored themes of social change, generational conflict, and the human condition.
Izumi Suzuki
A pioneering Japanese science fiction author whose dark, subversive short stories challenged traditional gender norms and explored themes of alienation, technology, and the human experience.

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