21st-century essayists

Colombian writer and Nobel laureate (1927–2014)

Czech statesman, playwright, and former dissident, the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic (1936–2011)

Peruvian, Spanish and Dominican novelist and writer (1936–2025)

Polish poet, Nobel Prize winner (1923–2012)

Nigerian writer (born 1934)

Polish science fiction author, philosopher and futurologist, studied medical doctor (1921–2006)

Slovenian philosopher (born 1949)

Kenyan writer (1938–2025)

Mexican writer (1928–2012)

Dutch writer (1927–2010)

American author, philosopher and neuroscientist (born 1967)

author, secular humanist, and feminist

Ukrainian writer

Irish actress (born 1991)

Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet (1920-2009)

Irish writer (born 1962)

Croatian journalist and novelist (born 1949)

Polish poet (1945-2021)

Irish novelist and writer (born 1955)

Norwegian writer (1941–2025)

Nicaraguan writer (1924-2018)

Finland Swedish philosopher, professor and member of the Academy of Finland (1916–2003)

Macedonian-American film director

Dutch writer (born 1971)

Kenyan writer (1971–2019)

Iranian film director (1938-2025)

German philosopher (1921–2023)

Ghanaian writer (born 1939)

Dutch writer and academic

Russian Chukchi writer (1930-2008)

Palestinian writer, Palestinian victim of the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip in December 2023

Ugandian poet, essayist, folklorist, politician

Hungarian writer (1930–2016)

Uruguay-Spanish writer

Basque writer and philosopher

Belgian philosopher

Dutch writer (1944–2012)

Danish writer

Cape Verdean poet, human rights activist, government minister and politician

Indonesian journalist, editor and poet

Russian author

Algerian journalist

Russian-Israeli writer

Romanian-born Hungarian poet and essayist

Romanian writer (1931–2011)

Dutch author and painter (born 1942)

Belgian writer (1923-2012)

Equatoguinean writer

Guatemalan writer

Japanese writer

Finnish poet, novelist, essayist and lawyer

Ukrainian writer, playwright and poet

Argentine writer, poet, and journalist

Finnish writer

Dutch author (born 1946)

Dutch writer and pianist

Hungarian academic (1956–2018)

Iranian-born poet, author, journalist and songwriter

Swiss politician

Croatian poet