There are 40 authors that start with the letter Y. From Yaakov Elman to Yvonne Orji. 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 Y

Authors nationality genre notable works
Yaakov Elman American religious studies ‘The World of the Babylonian Sages’
Yael Naim French Singer-songwriter, pianist ‘New Soul’, ‘Go to the River’
Yael Zinkow Israeli fiction, non-fiction ‘Cracking the World Wide Web’
Yahia Lababidi Egyptian Poet, essayist, aphorist ‘Signposts to Elsewhere’, ‘Fever Dream’, ‘Emigrant’
Yair Lapid Israeli Politician, journalist, author ‘Memories After My Death’, ‘And the Bride Closed the Door’
Yama Warashi Japanese fiction, poetry ‘Whisper Flowers’
Yan Geling Chinese fiction, screenwriting ‘The Flowers of War’
Yan Lianke Chinese Novelist, short story writer ‘Dream of Ding Village’, ‘The Four Books’, ‘Lenin’s Kisses’
Yana Toboso Japanese manga ‘Black Butler’ series
Yangsze Choo Malaysian-American Novelist ‘The Ghost Bride’, ‘The Night Tiger’
Yanitzia Canetti Cuban-American fiction, non-fiction ‘The ‘I’ of the Storm’, ‘Weeping Woman’
Yann Arthus-Bertrand French Photographer, environmentalist ‘Earth from Above’, ‘Home’
Yann Kebbi French graphic novels, illustration ‘The Apartment’, ‘Wanderlust’
Yann Kermorgant French football (soccer) Played for various clubs in France and England
Yann Martel Canadian Novelist ‘Life of Pi’, ‘The High Mountains of Portugal’, ‘Beatrice and Virgil’
Yann Tiersen French composer, musician ‘Am�lie’ soundtrack, other film scores
Yannick Murphy American Novelist, short story writer ‘The Call’, ‘This Is the Water’, ‘Signed, Mata Hari’
Yannis Ritsos Greek Poet ‘Moonlight Sonata’, ‘Repetitions’, ‘Piercing the Silence’
Yaqob Beyene Eritrean poetry, non-fiction ‘Echoes from the Motherland’
Yara Rodrigues Fowler British fiction ‘There Are More Things’, ‘Stubborn Archivist’
Yashar Kemal Turkish Novelist ‘Memed, My Hawk’, ‘The Wind from the Plain’, ‘Iron Earth, Copper Sky’
Yasmin Reza French fiction, plays ‘God of Carnage’, ‘Art’
Yasmina Reza French playwright, novelist ‘Art’, ‘God of Carnage’
Yasmine Galenorn American Urban fantasy, paranormal romance author ‘Otherworld’ series, ‘Chintz ‘n China’ series
Yasunari Kawabata Japanese Novelist, short story writer ‘Snow Country’, ‘Thousand Cranes’, ‘The Old Capital’
Yasushi Inoue Japanese Novelist, short story writer ‘The Hunting Gun’, ‘The Shinobi’, ‘The Blue Mountain’
Yehuda Amichai Israeli poet ‘Open Closed Open’, ‘Not of This Time, Not of This Place’
Yekwon Sunwoo South Korean classical pianist Winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Yevgeny Baratynsky Russian poet ‘A Deathly Dream’, ‘The Gypsy’
Yevgeny Schwartz Russian playwright, screenwriter ‘The Dragon’, ‘The Naked King’
Yevgeny Zamyatin Russian Novelist, short story writer ‘We’, ‘The Dragon’, ‘The Islanders’
Yidam Tsering Tibetan poet, activist ‘The Struggle Within’, ‘A Struggle for Freedom’
Yiyun Li Chinese-American Novelist, short story writer ‘The Vagrants’, ‘Kinder Than Solitude’, ‘Where Reasons End’
Yoko Ogawa Japanese fiction ‘The Housekeeper and the Professor’, ‘The Diving Pool’
Yomi Adegoke British non-fiction ‘Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible’, ‘Diversify’
Yukio Mishima Japanese Novelist, playwright, poet ‘The Temple of the Golden Pavilion’, ‘Runaway Horses’, ‘The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea’
Yuri Herrera Mexican Novelist ‘Signs Preceding the End of the World’, ‘The Transmigration of Bodies’, ‘Kingdom Cons’
Yuriy Andrukhovych Ukrainian Novelist, poet, essayist ‘Recreations’, ‘Perverzion’, ‘The Moscoviad’
Yuriy Vynnychuk Ukrainian Novelist, short story writer ‘The Tango of Death’, ‘The Windows of the Brothel’, ‘The Perverted Classics’
Yvonne Orji Nigerian-American actress, comedian ‘Insecure’

Descriptions

Yaakov Elman
Yaakov Elman was an American scholar of Talmud and rabbinic literature. He is known for his work on the cultural and intellectual history of the Babylonian Talmud and its relationship to the Persian Empire.
Yael Naim
Yael Naim is a French singer-songwriter and pianist. She gained international recognition with her 2007 single ‘New Soul’ and has released several acclaimed albums, blending folk, pop, and electronic influences.
Yael Zinkow
Yael Zinkow is an Israeli writer and journalist. She is known for her works exploring the intersection of technology, society, and culture, including her book ‘Cracking the World Wide Web’ which examines the impact of the internet on modern life.
Yahia Lababidi
Yahia Lababidi is an Egyptian-American poet, essayist, and aphorist. His works explore themes of spirituality, identity, and the human condition, and have been widely published and translated.
Yair Lapid
Yair Lapid is an Israeli politician, journalist, and author. He served as the Minister of Finance and the Leader of the Opposition. His novels and memoirs explore themes of identity and politics in Israel.
Yama Warashi
Yama Warashi is a Japanese writer and poet. Their work often explores themes of nature, spirituality, and the human experience, as seen in their collection of poetry ‘Whisper Flowers.’
Yan Geling
Yan Geling is a Chinese writer and screenwriter. She is known for her novels and short stories that depict the experiences of Chinese people during times of war and social upheaval, such as ‘The Flowers of War.’
Yan Lianke
Yan Lianke is a Chinese novelist and short story writer. His work, often satirical and allegorical, explores social and political issues in contemporary China. He has received numerous literary awards, including the Hua Yisheng Literature Prize.
Yana Toboso
Yana Toboso is a Japanese manga artist best known for the ‘Black Butler’ (Kuroshitsuji) series, a Gothic fantasy manga featuring supernatural themes and a Victorian-era setting.
Yangsze Choo
Yangsze Choo is a Malaysian-American novelist. Her novels blend elements of historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery, drawing inspiration from Chinese folklore and Malaysian culture. She is known for her vivid storytelling and atmospheric settings.
Yanitzia Canetti
Cuban-American author known for her experimental and emotive writing style, exploring themes of identity, displacement, and the immigrant experience.
Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a French photographer and environmentalist. He is best known for his aerial photography projects, which have showcased the beauty and fragility of the natural world, raising awareness about environmental issues.
Yann Kebbi
French illustrator and graphic novelist known for his evocative, dreamlike style and exploration of themes of travel, memory, and the urban experience.
Yann Kermorgant
Yann Kermorgant is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played for several clubs in France and England, including Bournemouth, where he became a cult hero for his performances and leadership on the pitch.
Yann Martel
Yann Martel is a Canadian novelist best known for his novel ‘Life of Pi’, which won the Man Booker Prize and was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. His works often explore themes of spirituality, survival, and the human experience.
Yann Tiersen
Yann Tiersen is a French composer and musician best known for his work on the soundtrack for the film ‘Am�lie’. His music combines classical, folk, and electronic influences to create a distinctive, emotive style.
Yannick Murphy
Yannick Murphy is an American novelist and short story writer. Her work often explores family dynamics and the complexities of human relationships. Her novels have been praised for their unique narrative structures and lyrical prose.
Yannis Ritsos
Yannis Ritsos was a prolific Greek poet who wrote during the turbulent political and social upheavals of the 20th century. His work is known for its lyrical and symbolic explorations of themes such as social justice, resistance, and the human condition.
Yaqob Beyene
Yaqob Beyene is an Eritrean poet and essayist. His works often explore themes of identity, displacement, and the lived experiences of the Eritrean diaspora, as seen in his collection of poetry ‘Echoes from the Motherland.’
Yara Rodrigues Fowler
British author of Portuguese descent, whose debut novel ‘Stubborn Archivist’ was praised for its innovative structure and nuanced portrayal of identity and belonging.
Yashar Kemal
Yashar Kemal was a Turkish novelist known for his epic, socially conscious novels that explored the lives of peasants and marginalized communities in rural Turkey. His work has been translated into over 40 languages and he is considered one of the greatest Turkish writers of the 20th century.
Yasmin Reza
French playwright and novelist, known for her incisive social commentary and exploration of the complexities of human relationships.
Yasmina Reza
Yasmina Reza is a French playwright and novelist, known for her acclaimed plays ‘Art’ and ‘God of Carnage’, which explore complex social dynamics and human relationships with wit and insight.
Yasmine Galenorn
Yasmine Galenorn is an American author known for her urban fantasy and paranormal romance series, including the ‘Otherworld’ and ‘Chintz ‘n China’ series. Her works often feature supernatural elements and strong, independent female protagonists.
Yasunari Kawabata
Yasunari Kawabata was a Japanese novelist and short story writer, renowned for his lyrical and poetic style. He was the first Japanese author to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968 for his ‘beautiful, evocative’ works.
Yasushi Inoue
Yasushi Inoue was a Japanese novelist and short story writer known for his works that explore themes of morality, alienation, and the human condition. His minimalist, introspective style has been widely acclaimed both in Japan and internationally.
Yehuda Amichai
Yehuda Amichai was an Israeli poet, considered one of the most prominent modern Hebrew poets. His works explore themes of love, war, and the human experience, often drawing on his personal life and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Yekwon Sunwoo
Yekwon Sunwoo is a South Korean classical pianist who gained international recognition after winning the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2017. He is known for his virtuosic technique and expressive interpretations of the classical piano repertoire.
Yevgeny Baratynsky
Yevgeny Baratynsky was a prominent Russian poet of the 19th century, considered one of the most important figures in the Romantic movement in Russian literature. His poetic works often explore themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
Yevgeny Schwartz
Yevgeny Schwartz was a Russian playwright and screenwriter known for his satirical and allegorical fairy tales, such as ‘The Dragon’ and ‘The Naked King’, which often served as political commentary on the Soviet regime.
Yevgeny Zamyatin
Yevgeny Zamyatin was a Russian author known for his dystopian novel ‘We’, which is often considered a precursor to George Orwell’s ‘1984’. His works explored themes of totalitarianism, individuality, and the nature of humanity.
Yidam Tsering
Yidam Tsering is a Tibetan poet and activist who uses his writing to advocate for Tibetan independence and human rights. His poetry collections, such as ‘The Struggle Within’ and ‘A Struggle for Freedom’, reflect his commitment to the Tibetan cause.
Yiyun Li
Yiyun Li is a Chinese-American novelist and short story writer. Her works often explore the themes of loss, displacement, and the human experience, drawing from her own background as a Chinese immigrant to the United States.
Yoko Ogawa
Japanese author acclaimed for her haunting, introspective narratives that delve into the darker corners of the human psyche and the complexities of human relationships.
Yomi Adegoke
British author and journalist whose non-fiction works explore issues of race, gender, and intersectionality, empowering readers and advocating for greater diversity and representation.
Yukio Mishima
Yukio Mishima was a prominent Japanese author known for his prolific and diverse body of work, which includes novels, plays, and poetry. His works often explored themes of nationalism, sexuality, and the preservation of traditional Japanese culture.
Yuri Herrera
Yuri Herrera is a Mexican novelist whose works are set against the backdrop of the Mexico-U.S. border region. His novels, often described as drug war gothic
Yuriy Andrukhovych
Yuriy Andrukhovych is a Ukrainian novelist, poet, and essayist who is considered one of the leading figures of the dissident movement in post-Soviet Ukraine. His works often blend postmodern techniques with explorations of Ukrainian identity and history.
Yuriy Vynnychuk
Yuriy Vynnychuk is a Ukrainian novelist and short story writer known for his postmodern, satirical works that often blend historical fiction with elements of the fantastic. His novels explore Ukrainian culture and identity in the context of broader social and political issues.
Yvonne Orji
Yvonne Orji is a Nigerian-American actress and comedian, best known for her role as Molly in the HBO comedy series ‘Insecure’, for which she received critical acclaim and an Emmy nomination.

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