Illinois Authors

A colorful celebration of the many successful writers who have called Illinois their home.

This charming pictorial map of Illinois, showcasing authors and literary subjects across the state, was compiled by members of the English Department at the University of Illinois. Small vignettes representing specific works highlight the important contributions of historic writers like James Marquette and modern authors like Saul Bellow. A variety of genres are also represented, including poetry, playwriting, fiction, history, social critiques, and more. A list of Chicagoland authors is provided in the upper right – Studs Terkel has not yet ‘made it.’