2008 in literature

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The year 2008 in literature involved some significant events and new books.

Events

January 1 - In the 2008 New Year Honours, Hanif Kureishi (CBE), Jenny Uglow (OBE), Peter Vansittart (OBE) and Debjani Chatterjee (MBE) are all rewarded for "services to literature".
June 15 - Gore Vidal, asked in a New York Times interview how he felt about the death of his great rival William F. Buckley, Jr., replies: "I thought hell is bound to be a livelier place, as he joins forever those whom he served in life, applauding their prejudices and fanning their hatred."
July - Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children is the winner of a poll to select the "Best of the Booker".

Michael Laitman - Kabbalah for the Student

January 2 - George MacDonald Fraser, 82, British author (Flashman)
January 3 - Henri Chopin, 85, French poet
January 11 - Nancy Phelan, 94, Australian writer
January 13 - Patricia Verdugo, 60, Chilean journalist and writer
January 16 - Hone Tuwhare, 85, New Zealand poet
January 17 - Edward D. Hoch, 77, American pulp writer
January 26
- John Ardagh, 79, British journalist and writer
- Abraham Brumberg, 81, American writer and editor
January 29 - Margaret Truman, 83, American writer
January 30 - Miles Kington, 66, British journalist and writer

February 4 - Rose Hacker, 101, British writer and journalist
February 7 - Richard Altick, 92, American literary scholar
February 8 - Phyllis A. Whitney, 104, American mystery writer
February 10 - Steve Gerber, 60, American comic book writer (Howard the Duck)
February 18 - Alain Robbe-Grillet, 85, French novelist
February 21
- Archie Hind, 80, British novelist
- Robin Moore, 82, American writer
February 22 - Stephen Marlowe, 79, American sci-fi and crime writer
February 28 - Julian Rathbone, 73, British novelist
February 28 (probable) - Val Plumwood, 68, Australian philosopher

March 16 - Jonathan Williams, 79, American poet
March 19
- Arthur C. Clarke, 90, British science-fiction writer and futurist
- Hugo Claus, 78, Belgian writer
March 23 - E. A. Markham, 68, Montserratian poet
April 3 - Andrew Crozier, 64, British poet and editor
April 7 - Ludu Daw Amar, 92, Burmese writer and journalist
April 13 - Robert Greacen, 87, Irish poet
April 17
- Aimé Césaire, 94, French-Martinican poet
- Zoya Krakhmalnikova, 79, Russian writer and editor
April 18
- Michael de Larrabeiti, 63, British novelist
- William W. Warner, 88, American biologist and Pulitzer Prize winning writer

June 2 - Ferenc Fejtő, 98, French-Hungarian historian and journalist
June 4 - Matthew Bruccoli, 76, American biographer and editor
June 5 - Angus Calder, 65, British writer and editor
June 8 - Peter Rühmkorf, 78, German poet
June 9 - Algis Budrys, 77, Lithuanian-American science fiction writer and editor
June 10
- Chinghiz Aitmatov, 79, Kyrgyz writer
- Eliot Asinof, 88, American sportswriter
June 16 - Mario Rigoni Stern, 86, Italian novelist
June 18 - Tasha Tudor, 92, American children's writer and illustrator
June 22 - Albert Cossery, 94, French-Egyptian novelist
June 24 - Ruth Cardoso, 77, Brazilian anthropologist and writer
June 25 - Lyall Watson, 69, South African new age writer
June 27 - Lenka Reinerová, 92, Czech writer

July 1
- Clay Felker, 82, American magazine editor and journalist, founder of New York
- Robert Harling, 98, British typographer, editor and novelist
July 2 - Simone Ortega, 89, Spanish cookery writer
July 4
- Thomas M. Disch, 68, American science fiction author and poet.
- Janwillem van de Wetering, 77, Dutch novelist
July 20 - Roger Wolcott Hall, 89, American memoirist and novelist
July 27 - Bob Crampsey, 78, British writer
July 30 - Peter Coke, 95, British playwright

November 4 - Michael Crichton, M.D., 66, author.
December 1 - Dorothy Sterling, 95, nonfiction writer of black history for children^[1]
December 15 - Anne-Catharina Vestly, 88, Norwegian children's book author^[2]
December 24 - Harold Pinter, 78, playwright and screenwriter.
December 31 - Donald E. Westlake, American novelist, ^[3]