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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Frank Baum publishes "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," a children's novel that becomes a classic and influences American popular culture and the fantasy genre. -
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The Begining of Modernism
From the death of the Victorian Era comes Modernism, a profound transformation in English literature, driven by modernist innovations, the impact of the World Wars, social and political critique, feminist thought, and psychoanalytic influence. These developments not only reflected the tumultuous historical context but also shaped the trajectory of English literature for the rest of the century.
.Modernism -
The Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling wins the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first English-language writer to receive the award. His works, including "The Jungle Book" and "Kim," reflect British imperial themes. -
Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad publishes "Heart of Darkness," a novella exploring themes of imperialism and human nature, which becomes a seminal work in modernist literature. -
The Souls of Black Folk
W. E. B. Du Bois published "The Souls of Black Folk," a collection of essays that highlighted racial issues in America, influencing the Civil Rights Movement and subsequent African American literature. It became a foundational text in African American literature and sociology. -
Where Angels Fear to Tread
E. M. Forster publishes "Where Angels Fear to Tread," beginning his series of novels that critique British society and explore themes of class and human connection. -
Social Critique
Authors like Upton Sinclair, John Steinbeck, and Richard Wright used their novels to address social injustices, influencing public opinion and policy changes.
Upton Sinclair publishes "The Jungle," a novel that exposes the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the United States, leading to public outcry and regulatory reforms in the meatpacking industry. -
The Golden Bough
James Frazer publishes "The Golden Bough," an extensive comparative study of mythology and religion that influences the fields of anthropology, literature, and psychology. At that time, the height of the campaign by suffragettes in Britain; women who had not achieved the right to vote in three reform bills. Many people trace the beginning of feminism to the campaign women over the age of 30 received the vote in 1918; from 1928, all adult women – aged over 21 – were given the vote. -
In Search of Lost Time
Marcel Proust begins publishing "In Search of Lost Time" (À la recherche du temps perdu), a monumental novel that explores themes of memory and time, significantly influencing 20th-century literature. -
World War I 1914-1918
The Beginning of the First World War in Europe.The war profoundly impacts literature, giving rise to war poets like Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, who depict the horrors and futility of war. As war poets, their vivid and brutal depictions of trench warfare highlighted the horrors of war and the disillusionment of a generation. Their poetry remains a powerful critique of the romanticized view of war. Also at that time, the Opening of the Panama Canal, built by the United States of America. -
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
US President Wilson sent American forces to Europe, to help British and French forces to fight German aggression. That same year James Joyce, releases "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" (1916), this revolutionized narrative structure and style with stream-of-consciousness techniques and deep psychological exploration. "Ulysses" (1922) is celebrated for its experimental use of language and structure, influencing countless writers and shaping modernist literature. -
The Return of the Soldier
End of the First World War (11 November)
Rebecca West works, including "The Return of the Soldier" (1918) and her critical essays, explored themes of gender, war, and social change, contributing to feminist literary criticism and thought. -
The Waste Land
T. S. Eliot publishes "The Waste Land," a landmark modernist poem is one of the most important works of modernist poetry, reflecting post-World War I disillusionment and fragmentation. Eliot's use of literary allusions, mythic structure, and innovative poetic form influenced modern poetry and criticism. At that time Ireland achieves self-government, with the establishment of the Irish Free State (‘Eire’). Six of the nine counties in the North (‘Ulster’) chose to remain within the United Kingdom. -
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes "The Great Gatsby," a novel that critiques the American Dream and becomes one of the defining works of American literature. -
Lady Chatterley's Lover
D. H. Lawrence publishes "Lady Chatterley's Lover," a novel that faces obscenity trials due to its explicit content, challenging censorship laws and societal attitudes towards sexuality at that same time, Virginia Woolf publishes "Orlando," a novel that explores gender and identity, and "A Room of One's Own," an essay that argues for women's intellectual freedom and financial independence, influencing feminist thought. -
All Quiet on the Western Front
Erich Maria Remarque publishes "All Quiet on the Western Front," had a significant influence on English literature by portraying the grim realities of war, impacting British and global perspectives on World War I. -
A Room of One's Own
Virginia Woolf essay particularly "A Room of One's Own" (1929),argued for women's intellectual freedom and financial independence, influencing feminist thought and advocating for gender equality in literature and society. Meanwhile the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange led to economic depression in the Western democracies. Party politics were abandoned in Britain in 1931, until 1945. -
Gone with the Wind
Margaret Mitchell publishes "Gone with the Wind," a historical novel set during the American Civil War that becomes a bestseller and a cultural phenomenon. Also happening, The Spanish Civil War. Britain did not officially support either side, but many individuals opposed the victorious General Franco’s right-wing political challenge to the monarchist status quo (which was restored on Franco’s death in 1975) -
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien publishes "The Hobbit," a fantasy novel that lays the groundwork for his later epic, "The Lord of the Rings," significantly impacting the fantasy genre. -
The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck publishes "The Grapes of Wrath," a novel that portrays the Great Depression, which wins the Pulitzer Prize and is influential in raising awareness about the struggles of American migrant workers. This while Hitler occupied Czechoslovakia, despite warnings from Western neighbours, including Britain, which strengthened alliances with other countries. When Hitler invaded Poland, the Second World War was declared. -
Native Son
Winston Churchill (aged 66) became leader of the British national government.
Meanwhile in America, Richard Wright publishes "Native Son," a novel that addresses racial issues in America and becomes a pivotal work in African American literature. -
Between the Acts
Virginia Woolf publishes "Between the Acts," her final novel, which examines themes of continuity and change, before her death the same year.
Her collection of essays and novels contributed significantly to feminist thought, advocating for women's rights and intellectual freedom.
On the down side Japan, with its own territorial ambitions in Asia, attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The United States of America joined the war in the Pacific and in Europe. -
Dystopian and Science Fiction
Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" and George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and later "1984" laid the foundations for dystopian literature, critiquing societal trends and political systems. -
Animal Farm
Hitler’s forces were defeated in Europe, in the spring. And the war against Japan continued until August, when the USA dropped the first two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
George Orwell publishes "Animal Farm", that offered scathing critiques of totalitarian regimes and political corruption. His clear and forceful prose and political insights have had a lasting impact on literature and political thought becoming a significant political satire.