Theme: The most popular British writers

2. Jane Austen
Jane Austen was a British writer who lived and worked in England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At the time, women just didn’t become writers (they weren’t expected to work at all) and thus Austen published all of her works anonymously. Most of her novels are focused on the lives of upper and middle-class women and their families, the focus on marriage as the only option for women at the time, and are filled with romance and humor. Austen also happens to be one of my all-time favorites!
Start with: Pride and Prejudice and Emma
3 . Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens is another world-famous British writer. Author of classics such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, Dickens is a household name all over the world. He lived and worked in Victorian England in the 19th century. Most of his books told a story as well as served as a criticism of social conditions in Europe at the time. Unlike many writers, Dickens enjoyed fame and fortune during his lifetime.
Start with: A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, and A Tale of Two Cities
4. J. R. R. Tolkien
Known by many as the man who invented the fantasy genre, J. R. R. Tolkien is another popular British writer you should add to your reading lists! Tolkien lived and worked in the early 20th century, and is the author of the famous, now turned into a movie series, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s books can be intimidating solely due to their length, but trust me, it’s worth it! You can’t help but be impressed by the intricate worlds that Tolkien creates.
Start with: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
5. Brontë Sisters
Excerpt of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë with illustrations – WikiCommons
Charlotte Brontë is the most famous of this group of literary sisters, but I think that they all deserve a place on this list of top 10 popular British writers! The sisters lived and worked in the 19th century and were basically brought up to become authors. Their father encouraged the girls to write and master their craft. Like Austen, because they were women, they used pseudonyms to publish their work. Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Brontë wrote on isolation, women’s place in society in the 19th century, and the British countryside. Charlotte is most famous for the classic Jane Eyre, Emily for Wuthering Heights, and Anne for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.