April is certainly not as cruel as T. S. Eliot has shown it to be in his iconic poetry The Waste Land. April has many important literary dates that will let the literary enthusiasts celebrate some of the days in April with joy and fervour. So, here is our list of the important literary dates in the month of April which come every year! You can also let us know if we have missed some. If you like it, you are welcome to share it with your friends.
2 April: Hans Christian Andersen was born on 2 April 1805 and he is best-known for his fairy tales and anyone who is interested in the world of fairies, dwarfs and mermaids would surely be interested in his books. You cannot ignore him and his birthday can surely be celebrated by all the lovers of magical fiction… He was a Danish author, playwright and poet but he is well-known and remembered only for his fairy tales.
4 April: The diary of the protagonist in the iconic novel 1984 begins on 4th April 1984. If you are a fan of the Orwellian world, you must remember the date and if you missed by any chance, do remember the date!
7 April: Are you a fan of short stories? You should remember the date because it is the birthday of Donald Barthelme, a very famous American short story writer. He was born on 7 April 1931 and lived until 23 July 1989.
8 April: Barbara Kingsolver was born on 8 April 1955 and she is the novelist to watch out. She has produced some of the world-class fiction and her writing is respected by the critics and book lovers alike.
10 April: Are you a fan of Gatsby? On 10 April 1925, the iconic and age-defining novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published! This date can surely be celebrated by the pop-culture fiction fans as the Gatsby date!
14 April: This was the date in the year 1818 when Webster’s American Dictionary in the English language was published. This is still one of the most respected dictionaries in the world.
16 April: On 16 April 1962, Dorris Lessing’s very popular and reputed novel, The Golden Notebook was published. This novel went on to make new recognition and new affinity among the readers and the book lovers community and still holds a great regard among the literary critics. The Golden Notebook is a novel full of characters and it philosophises on the consequences of the war and vouches for an integrated society where there is no place for war.
19 April: Who does not know the darling of the aristocrat ladies – Lord Byron? He died on 19 April 1824 and the day of his demise is observed as a day to remember his flamboyant verse.
21 April: The dear novelist, Charlotte Bronte, was born on 21 April 1816. Well, if you don’t know her, we cannot help you with this! You MUST know her if you are reading this article with a taste!
24 April: On 24 April 1800, the Library of Congress was founded!
30 April: The versatile literary figure of the USA, Annie Dillard was born on 30 April 1945 and she continues to be one of the prolific contemporary figures in literature.
So, folks, now we see that April isn’t that cruel a month for the literary lovers and Eliot was only whimsical about it! Enjoy the dates which you like and celebrate them or observe them and show some respect to those who helped make our literature!
by a regular LN contributor