List of English Writers - D

D

• David Dabydeen (born 1955), novelist and critic
• Charlotte Dacre (wrote as Rosa Matilda, 1782–1841), novelist and poet
• Roald Dahl (1916–1990), children's writer
• William Dakins (died 1607), scholar, AV translator and cleric
• Andrew Dalby (born 1947), writer on languages and food
• Celia Dale (1912–2011), novelist
• Penny Dale (born 1954), children's writer and illustrator
• Thomas Dale (1797–1870), poet, theologian and cleric
• Robert Charles Dallas (1756–1824), writer, translator and judge
• Anne Seymour Damer (1748–1828), novelist and sculptor
• William Dampier (1651–1715), travel writer and buccaneer
• William Danby (1752–1833), scholar and philosopher
• Clemence Dane (real name Winifred Ashton, 1888–1965), novelist and playwright
• Samuel Daniel (1562–1619), poet and historian
• Sarah Daniels (born 1957), playwright
• Alicia D'Anvers (1688–1725), poet
• Ella D'Arcy (c. 1856–1939), novelist and translator
• Charles Darwin (1809–1882), naturalist, On the Origin of Species
• Emma Darwin (born 1964), novelist
• Erasmus Darwin (1731–1802), natural historian and poet
• Florence Henrietta Darwin (1863/4 – 1920), playwright
• Elizabeth Daryush (born Bridges, 1887–1977), poet
• George Webbe Dasent (1817–1896), writer and translator
• Rana Dasgupta (born 1972), novelist
• William Davenant (1606–1668), poet and playwright
• Robert Davenport (fl. 1623–1639), playwright and poet
• Selina Davenport (1779–1859), novelist
• C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1857–1942), Buddhist scholar and translator
• Lionel Davidson (1922–2009), novelist, The Night of Wenceslas
• Donald Davie (1922–1995), poet and critic
• Caitlin Davies (born 1964), novelist and journalist
• Hunter Davies (born 1936), writer, biographer and ghost writer
• Hugh Sykes Davies (1909–1984), poet and novelist
• John Davies (c. 1565–1618), poet and satirist
• John Davies (1569–1626), poet and lawyer
• Linda Davies (born 1963), novelist
• Peter Ho Davies (born 1966), novelist
• John Davis or Davys (c. 1543–1605), writer and navigator
• Lindsey Davis (born 1949), novelist
• Ann Davison (1914–1992), travel writer
• Humphry Davy (1778–1829), writer, chemist and inventor
• Richard Dawkins (born 1941), ethologist and science writer, The God Delusion
• Coningsby Dawson (1883–1959), novelist, poet and soldier
• Jennifer Dawson (1929–2000), novelist
• Jill Dawson (fl. 1984–present), poet, novelist and editor
• William James Dawson (1854–1928), poet and religious writer
• James Wentworth Day (1899–1983), countryside writer and broadcaster
• Jeffery Day (1896–1918), poet
• John Day (1574 – c. 1640), playwright The Parliament of Bees
• Martin Day (born 1969), novelist and screenwriter, Dr. Who spinoffs
• Thomas Day (1748–1789), children's writer and educationalist
• Cecil Day-Lewis (1904–1972), Poet Laureate, translator and novelist
• Tamasin Day-Lewis (born 1953), food writer and broadcaster
• April De Angelis (born 1960), playwright
• Louis de Bernières (born 1954), novelist, Captain Corelli's Mandolin
• Alain de Botton (born 1969), writer, novelist and essayist
• Walter de la Mare (early pen name Walter Ramal, 1873–1956), poet and novelist
• Michael de Larrabeiti (1934–2008), novelist and travel writer, The Borrible Trilogy
• William De Morgan (1839–1917), novelist and potter
• Thomas de Quincey (1785–1859), essayist and critic, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater
• Hugh de Selincourt (1878–1951), writer and journalist
• Aubrey de Sélincourt (1894–1962), classical scholar, translator and children's writer
• Lisa St Aubin de Terán (born 1953), novelist, poet and autobiographer
• Edward de Vere, earl of Oxford (1550–1604), playwright, poet and courtier
• William Frederick Deacon (1799–1844), writer and journalist
• Roger Deakin (1943–2006), writer on the countryside
• Ellen Dean (living), novelist and broadcaster
• Nick Dear (born 1955), playwright and screenwriter
• Geoffrey Dearmer (1893–1996), poet
• Percy Dearmer, (1867–1936), reformer and cleric, The Parson's Handbook
• John Dee (1527–1608/9), mathematician, occultist and political economist
• Denise Deegan (born 1952), novelist, screenwriter and playwright, Daisy Pulls It Off
• Warwick Deeping (1877–1950), novelist and story writer, Sorrell and Son
• Daniel Defoe (c. 1659–1731), novelist and pamphleteer, Robinson Crusoe
• Paul Dehn (1912–1976), screenwriter and playwright
• Len Deighton (born 1929), military historian, cookery writer and novelist, The Ipcress File
• Thomas Dekker (1572–1632), playwright
• E. M. Delafield (1890–1943), novelist
• Michael De-la-Noy (1934–2002), writer and journalist
• Mary Delany (born Mary Granville), (1700–1788), letter writer, artist and bluestocking
• R. F. Delderfield (1912–1972), novelist and playwright, A Horseman Riding By
• Ethel M. Dell (1881–1939), novelist
• Thomas Deloney (1553–1600), balladeer and novelist
• John Denham (1614/15 – 1669), poet
• Felix Dennis (born 1947), poet and publisher
• George Dennis (1814–1898), writer and explorer
• John Dennis (1657–1734), critic and playwright
• Nigel Dennis (1912–1989), writer, novelist and playwright
• Colin Dexter (born 1930), novelist, Inspector Morse novels
• Nirpal Singh Dhaliwal (born 1974), novelist and journalist
• William Diaper (1685–1717), poet and translator
• Charles Dibdin (c. 1745–1814), playwright, poet and songwriter
• Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776–1847), bibliographer
• Thomas John Dibdin (1771–1841), playwright and songwriter
• Charles Dickens (1812–1870), novelist, David Copperfield
• Monica Dickens (1915–1992), novelist and children's writer
• Anne Hepple Dickinson (pen name Anne Hepple, 1877–1959), novelist
• Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson (1862–1932), historian and political activist
• John Dickinson (born 1962), YA novelist
• Patric Dickinson (1914–1994), poet, translator and playwright
• Peter Dickinson (born 1927), novelist, children's writer and poet
• Kenelm Digby (1603–1665), natural philosopher
• Leonard Digges (1588–1635), poet and translator
• Francis Dillingham (died 1625), scholar, AV translator and cleric
• Wentworth Dillon, earl of Roscommon (1630–1685), poet, critic and translator
• John Disney (1677–1729/30), writer on moral reform, and cleric
• John Disney (1746–1816), religious writer, biographer and Unitarian minister
• Jenny Diski (born 1947), novelist and essayist, Rainforest
• Isaac D'Israeli (1766–1848), essayist
• Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881), novelist and statesman
• Henry Hall Dixon (1822–1870), writer
• Richard Watson Dixon (1833–1900), poet and church historian
• William Hepworth Dixon (1821–1879), historian, biographer and travel writer
• Sydney Thompson Dobell (1824–1874), poet and critic
• Henry Austin Dobson (1840–1921), poet and essayist
• William Dodd (1729–1777), writer, cleric and forger
• John Doddridge (1555–1628), writer, antiquary and judge
• Philip Doddridge (1702–1751), religious writer and hymn writer
• George Bubb Dodington (1691–1792), politician, poet and diarist
• Robert Dodsley (1704–1764), poet, writer and bookseller
• Christina Dodwell (born 1951), travel writer
• Berlie Doherty (born 1943), children's writer, poet and dramatist
• Paul C. Doherty (several pen names, born 1946), novelist
• Digby Mackworth Dolben (1848–1867), poet
• Alfred Domett (1811–1887), poet and statesman
• Angus Donald (born 1965), novelist
• Julia Donaldson (born 1948), children's writer and playwright, The Gruffalo
• John Donne (1572–1631), poet and cleric
• Desmond Donnelly (1920–1974), writer, journalist and politician
• Eleanor Doorly (1880–1950), children's writer
• Thomas Doubleday (1790–1870), political writer, playwright and songwriter
• Sarah Doudney (1841–1926), novelist, children's writer and hymn writer
• Charles Montagu Doughty (1843–1926), poet, writer and traveller, Travels in Arabia Deserta
• Louise Doughty (born 1963), novelist and playwright
• Keith Douglas (1920–1944), poet
• Lord Alfred Douglas (1870–1945), poet
• Norman Douglas (1868–1952), novelist, South Wind
• Siobhan Dowd (1960–2007), novelist, anthologist and children's writer, Bog Child
• Andrew Downes (c. 1549–1628), scholar, AV translator and cleric
• Jenny Downham (born 1964), novelist
• Ernest Dowson (1867–1900), poet and story writer
• Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), novelist and author of Sherlock Holmes
• Richard Doyle (born 1948), novelist, Flood
• Francis Hastings Doyle (1810–1888), poet
• Margaret Drabble (born 1939), novelist and critic, The Millstone
• Phil Drabble (1914–2007), writer and broadcaster
• Judith Drake (fl. 1696–1707), essayist
• Nathan Drake (1766–1836), essayist and physician
• Nick Drake (born 1961), poet and novelist
• Augusta Theodosia Drane (1823–1894), writer and nun
• Michael Drayton (1563–1631), poet
• John Drinkwater (1882–1937), poet and playwright
• Henry Drummond (1786–1860), religious writer, politician and banker
• John Dryden, (1631–1700) poet and playwright, Absalom and Achitophel
• Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989), novelist, Rebecca
• George du Maurier (1834–1896), cartoonist and novelist, Trilby
• Edward Dubois (1774–1850), wit and man of letters
• Stephen Duck (c. 1705–1756), poet and cleric
• Agnes Mary Frances Duclaux (1857–1944), poet and author
• Ernest Dudley (real name Vivian Ernest Coltman-Allen, 1908–2006), novelist, screenwriter and actor
• Lord Dufferin (1826–1902), writer and explorer
• Charles Duff (1894–1966), language-book writer, translator and satirist
• Maureen Duffy (born 1933), poet, screenwriter and novelist
• Stella Duffy (born 1963), novelist and playwright
• William Dugdale (1605–1686), antiquary
• Alfred Duggan (1903–1964), historical writer and novelist
• Ian Duhig (born 1954), poet
• Richard Duke (1658–1711), poet and cleric
• Ashley Dukes (1885–1959), playwright and critic
• Cuthbert Dukes (1890–1977), medical writer and pathologist
• Sarah Dunant (born 1950), writer and novelist
• John Duncombe (1729–1786), poet and cleric
• William Duncombe (1690–1769), translator and playwright
• Roderic Dunkerley (1884–1966), religious writer
• Helen Dunmore (born 1952), poet, novelist and children's writer,
• Antony Dunn (born 1973), poet and playwright
• Nell Dunn (born 1936), novelist and playwright, Poor Cow
• James Duport (1606–1679), scholar and cleric
• John Duport (died 1617), scholar, AV translator and cleric
• Mortimer Durand (1850–1924), novelist, travel writer and diplomat
• Thomas D'Urfey (1653–1723), playwright and poet, Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy
• Raymond Durgnat (1932–2002), film critic
• Edith Durham (1863–1944), travel writer
• Gerald Durrell (1925–1995), naturalist and author, My Family and Other Animals
• Lawrence Durrell (1921–1990), novelist and poet, The Alexandria Quartet
• John Dunton (1659–1733), writer, bookseller and pamphleteer
• Edward Dyer (1543–1607), poet and courtier
• Geoff Dyer (born 1958), writer
• George Dyer (1755–1841), scholar and poet