Britain has a long-standing tradition of producing great writers and the internet, especially social media, is a great way to keep in touch with them. Following are some British authors who interact with their fans on Facebook. They all have their own special subjects to post about, and are definitely worth following.
1. Alexander McCall Smith
Author of the delightful No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, Alexander McCall Smith shares information about his life, his books, and his opinions on different subjects. He also updates about his live chat events on Facebook, so if you want a chance to ask him a few questions, follow him on Facebook.
2. Ann Cleeves
Ann Cleeves has written numerous books, and in particular, is renowned for her Vera Stanthorpe detective novels and for her Shetland Island series. On Facebook, she shares details of book festivals and signings she is attending, along with pictures of the covers of her books, and links to information about television adaptations of her works.
3. Alison Moore
An author who writes books in different genres, Alison Moore is popular for her books such as The Lighthouse. She is a regular on Facebook and posts on book awards and book events. She also updates on her latest works and posts about her books.
4. Bernard Cornwell
An author who writes novels set in historical periods, Bernard Cornwell is one of Britain’s most popular historical fiction writers and even TV shows have been made on his books. He posts on Facebook about his books and even organises Q&A sessions, where he answers questions by his fans.
5. E L James
Taking the world by storm with her Fifty Shades trilogy, E L James is a popular erotic fiction writer. She posts about her books, book events, interviews and interacts with her fans. She also shares some photographs as well as things she finds interesting. Follow her if you are a Fifty Shades fan, as she goes into depth about the books!
6. Elizabeth Buchan
Elizabeth Buchan is an author of books in genres such as historical fiction and contemporary fiction. Elizabeth’s latest book is I Can’t Begin to Tell You and on Facebook, she posts links to her short stories that are broadcast on BBC Radio 4, photos of her books, and shares articles about other authors and their books. She also shares comments on thoughts and experiences she has.
7. Elizabeth Chadwick
The winner of the Betty Trask award, this author writes historical fiction, generally set in England. She does not have a page but is happy to add friends to her Facebook account and regularly interacts with everyone. A lot of history is discussed on her timeline, and Elizabeth Chadwick contributes to almost all discussions.
8. Elly Griffiths
Elly Griffiths is a crime thriller and mystery writer whose books are set in the East Anglia part of England and involve a protagonist called Ruth Galloway, who’s a forensic archaeologist. On Facebook, Elly shares information and photos about book signings she has attended, any events where she will be appearing, details of her book releases and samples from her books.
9. Hilary Mantel
Twice winner of the Man Booker Prize and with a number of other awards also under her belt, Hilary Mantel is yet another historical fiction writer, acclaimed for her original writing style and bold perspectives. She mainly shares posts about her books and the plays and TV shows based on her books. If you loved Wolf Hall or any of her other books, you will definitely enjoy following this author.
10. Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan is the recipient of a number of literary awards and writes books in different genres. Some examples of his works include Atonement, Sweet Tooth, and The Daydreamer. His Facebook page is maintained by his publisher and webmaster who share information about his different books and links to articles about him, along with competitions where readers can win Ian’s books.
11. Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh is an author who focuses on the darker side of human nature in his books, which are usually set in Scotland. On his Facebook page, you can find updates of the latest author events that he does, and he does a lot of them! He also organises Q&A sessions and informs fans about his books and everything connected to them.
12. J K Rowling
The world-famous author of the Harry Potter series has also written other books in different genres. Her Facebook account keeps you updated about her books, the TV or movie adaptations of her books, and her book events. In addition, she also updates regularly about the charities she supports.
13. Jasper Fforde
Jasper Fforde’s books that often combine alternate history, fantasy, crime, comedy and science fiction are well known and appreciated by readers. Fforde’s Facebook account is dedicated to his photography and there are lovely photos of nature, cars, historical sites and everything else that takes his fancy. He also occasionally shares personal pictures and posts. You must follow Fforde just for the sheer beauty of his photographs!
14. Jeffrey Archer
A popular fiction writer, Jeffrey Archer has written many classics such as Kane and Abel and A Prison Diary, a memoir of his time spent in prison. He shares about his books and events on his Facebook page. He is very interactive, both online and offline, and discusses about all his interviews and is happy to answer any questions. Any fan of the author would enjoy following the page.
15. Jo Baker
A talented historical fiction author, the Belfast based Jo Baker has also written for BBC Radio. She shares about her books and book events, but also shares other literary news of interest. She often posts interesting historical tidbits and sometimes even shares something about her personal life.
16. Joe Abercrombie
Joe Abercrombie is a popular fantasy author with books like the First Law Trilogy under his belt. He not only talks about his own books, but also shares his thoughts on various literary topics. He posts regularly on his blog and shares the updates on Facebook, so if you are a fan, you can get about everything he posts online from his Facebook account!
17. John Le Carré
John Le Carré is a famous espionage writer who’s books include titles such as The Spy Who Came In From the Cold and a Delicate Truth. John’s Facebook page is maintained by his assistant, Gavin Lagrange and Gavin regularly posts updates and articles about John’s books, and about movie and TV adaptations that have been made out of them.
18. Kate Atkinson
A crime fiction writer, Kate Atkinson has won numerous awards for her books. Kate’s latest book is A God in Ruins. Her publishers maintain her Facebook page and usually posts about her books, interviews she has taken part in, and reviews of her books.
19. Kazuo Ishiguro
A versatile author who has effectively touched on different topics in his books, Kazuo Ishiguro has won a few awards. His page on Facebook is maintained by his publisher who posts about his books and everything related to them. His Facebook page contains lots of photographs, so if you want to see the author in action, his page is a good place to go.
20. Lee Child
The creator of the famous Jack Reacher series of crime novels, Lee Child talks a lot about his books on his Facebook page. He shares snippets of his works in progress and interacts with his fans. He also posts about other books he finds engaging as well as random interesting articles.
21. M C Beaton
A mystery writer in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, MC Beaton has her own Agatha Raisin who solves murders and problems in her small and insular English village. She posts about various topics related to her books, but also shares some interesting things about her personal life. If you are into mysteries, Beaton is a great person to follow!
22. Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is famous for his horror, fantasy and science fiction books. One of the most versatile contemporary authors, Gaiman also produces graphic novels, short stories and screenplays. He posts articles about different things and talks about his meetings with other artistes and writers. He shares information about the charity work he does and about his works in progress. His timeline has a collection of topics on different subjects.
23. Nick Hornby
The author of popular books like High Fidelity and About a Boy, Nick Hornby writes about music, sports, romance, and humour. He has a Facebook account rather than a page, and fans can add him as a friend. He posts about politics, charities he supports, music, sports, and anything else that takes his fancy. He interacts with his fans quite frequently, making this author good fun to have on your friend list.
24. Peter F Hamilton
Peter F Hamilton is a science fiction writer, well known for his books like Pandora’s Star. He talks about his trips to different places, his book events and obviously, details about his upcoming and past books.
25. Phil Earle
Writer of Young Adult novels such Being Billy, and children’s books such as Demolition Dad, Phil Earle shares plenty of things on Facebook such as covers of his books, articles about other authors he finds interesting, photos of events he has been too, and links to videos containing writing tips.
26. Philippa Gregory
A popular writer of historical fiction, Philippa Gregory is well known for her The Tudor Court and The Cousins’ War series. She posts articles about British history, historical sites and literary events. She is very interactive with her fans.
27. Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins’ famous book The God Delusion is a bestseller. An evolutionary biologist, Dawkins has devoted his life to countering superstition and religious fanaticism. He posts about religion and atheism on his Facebook page. He also occasionally posts about nature, science and social issues.
28. Santa Montefiore
An author of contemporary literary fiction, some of Santa Montefiore’s books include The Beekeeper’s Daughter and A Mother’s Love. On her Facebook page, Santa posts information about her books and reviews written about them, any special offers available to readers and book giveaways, which she might have on.
29. Stephen Hawking
Reputed to be one of the smartest people on earth, Stephen Hawking is an authority on quantum physics. He is the author of the bestseller A Brief History of Time. He has obviously written academic books and papers on his subject, but is also responsible for popular books on science and children’s books. He talks about various scientific breakthroughs on his Facebook page and discusses the charities he supports, as well as all the events in which he participates. A very inspiring person to follow!
30. Tahir Shah
A travel writer, who combines history with the unique cultural aspects of the places he visits, Tahir Shah is an Afghan-British writer who lives in Morocco. On his Facebook page, he shares details about his books, photographs from his travels and news items on current affairs close to his heart.
31. Tarquin Hall
The author of the Vish Puri series set in India, Tarquin Hall has a Facebook account where you can follow him and his updates on his personal life, his wife, his books, and his travels. He also posts photographs from his travels.
Image credit: Mambembe Arts & Crafts on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0
Kavitha is a freelance content writer and French translator, and has been working in this field since 2008. She has degrees in computer applications and international business and has a background in business and international trade. She enjoys learning languages and is currently learning Japanese. Her interests vary from books and writing to travelling and history.