This was a great guide to some of the greatest authors. If you are looking to expand your reading tastes or if you want to know more about your favourites, this book is equally valuable.

This book is a great resource for readers looking for new authors to explore.  (They may also find authors they already like and know among the 50 who are included here).  To name just some of those included: Djuna Barnes, Octavia Butler, Albert Camus, Colette, Sylvia Plath, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jean Rhys and Kurt Vonnegut.


The book begins with an introduction that lays out what makes a writer a cult writer specifically. Folloiwing this are the many biographical entries, all with illustrations that enhance the text.


This is a fun and interesting book for browsing.  I recommend it.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Exactly what it says it is – a selection of 50 “cult” writers, and like all such selections will arouse contention and/or approval amongst its readers. For those bibliophiles who love lists, it’s an ideal little book, a useful compendium. Each author is introduced with a short biography and illustration and with a list of his/her major works. A light but fun read.

A very solid series of short biographies of writers who’ve achieved some sort of cult status. I was familiar with most of them, but a couple were new, and I definitely have a few more books on my TBR list now!

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for a temporary digital edition via NetGalley of Ian Haydn Smith’s ‘Cult Writers: 50 Nonconformist Novelists You Need to Know’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is the latest in White Lion’s ‘Cult’ series. Here Haydn Smith selected 50 modern authors that have gained cult status and provides short biographies along with brief commentary on their work. The book is 144 pages so most writers get two pages including a expressive portrait by illustrator Kristelle Rodela.

In his Introduction Smith lays out the criteria for his selection and acknowledges that in having a limit of 50 there were naturally going to be omissions. He writes that he considers that these 50 writers each stand as representative of a certain type of movement in fiction. He presents a few examples such as Thomas Pynchon standing in for experimental writers such as David Foster Wallace and Roberto Bolaño.

This seems a fair comment even though I would have enjoyed reading Haydn Smith’s thoughts on the work of Tom Robbins or Tom Wolfe.

I was glad that a few genre authors were included and not just those considered as writing works of literary fiction. I was also surprised how many of these writers I had read and also added a few new names and titles to my TBR list.

The entries are listed alphabetically and following the main text is a list of key works for each of the writers and an index.

I would recommend this for bibliophiles as a handy reference work that is ideal to dip into. It would also be an ideal gift for a family member or friend who loves books.

A very insightful and educational read about some of the greatest writers of our time. Despite covering authors from various genres, I was a little disappointed to see hardly any children's authors.

Fun, quick read about 50 "cult" authors and what makes them and their writing so special. There were some old favorites on here, plus some I've not read before (but plan to now). The book recommendations at the end of this book were helpful.

In the introduction to his slim yet thorough volume, Curzon Magazine editor Ian Hadyn Smith takes on the task of defining cult writers, and more specifically, to quote the title, "nonconformist novelists you need to know." In discussing his rationale, Smith explains his choice of authors while also critiquing the very practice of culling a selection of "the best" of anything. He notes that the definition of a cult writer is transient, always a product of its time.

The chosen time for Smith, then, is authors who published in the 20th or 21st century. Although the established category is nonconformist novelists, Smith also determines that fiction writers might include novelists who are best known for their nonfiction, journalism, or hybrid works. Examples include Joan Didion, better known for her nonfiction, and the poet Sylvia Plath, also known for her influential novel, The Bell Jar. Smith also notes that the category of "cult writers" is not the exclusive domain of male, white, or English-speaking authors who comprise the traditional canonical literature. From this perspective, then, even an avid reader is likely to come across an author whose work is unfamiliar.

Each of the 50 biographies is succinct and compelling. For those who have read the featured authors, the tightly-rendered profiles offer biographical details that can enhance the reader's understanding of authors they appreciate. Italo Calvino, for example, despised the far-right politics in Italy and joined a Communist group toward the end of World War II. Cormac McCarthy, beloved for his writing about the American West, is originally from Rhode Island and attended the University of Tennessee. He demonstrates that sometimes the outsider who embraces a new place can best capture the essence of local culture.

The diversity of the cult writers here signals both Smith's far reach as a reader and his role as an accomplished researcher. Counted among the cult writers are those with a vast international reputation, like J.R.R. Tolkein or James Joyce, as well as authors whose work may not be as widely known to contemporary audiences, such as Françoise Sagan. After being expelled from two schools for bad behavior, Sagan enrolled at the Sorbonne but left without graduating.

Her first novel, Bonjour Tristesse, was published in 1954, when she was 18 years old. The story of 17-year-old Cecile vacationing with her adulterous father and experiencing her first romance quickly became an international sensation, as did the young author. Smith notes that Sagan continued writing, publishing more than 20 novels along with plays, short story collections and essay collections, despite her growing addictions to various drugs. She died in 2004, at the age of 69. For each of the writers, Smith finds a narrative or details that leave a lasting impression on the reader.

The book's design is delightful, with illustrations and author portraits by Kristelle Rodelia. She has also illustrated the other books in Quarto's Cult series, including filmmakers, artists, and musicians. For Cult Writers, each author profile fits on a double page spread with a readable, attractive typeface, Rodelia's excellent illustrations, and a tag for the author. Charles Bukowski is "The Dauphan of the Dispossessed". The often-underrated Douglas Coupland is "The Digital Age Sauvant". Elena Ferrante is "The Anonymous Author", as her anonymity is central to the public's shaping of her identity and has an intriguing influence on how critics and readers perceive her work. William Burroughs is "El Hombre Invisible", along with Ralph Ellison, "The Visible Writer".

There are some exceptions to the two-page spread, like Burroughs, whose portrait follows his profile. Camus' profile, accompanied by the quote, "A novel is never anything but a philosophy put into images," includes a striking illustration of the author in suit and overcoat, with a cigarette between his lips. In contrast, Joan Didion's portrait does not seem to capture her essence, as Camus's does. That Didion has been continually photographed for decades as her image changes likely contributes to this feeling.

While there is no prescribed checklist for the makings of a cult writer, certain themes come up repeatedly: early play with language and writing along with early experiences of parents' deaths, expulsion from school, difficult marriages and romances. More cult authors in this collection choose solitude over suicide, although both choices might evince the stereotypical "tortured soul" of great writers.

For the reader who wants to dig deeper into quality writing, or the bibliophile looking to branch out into new genres, Cult Writers is an inviting source to decide what to read next. A list of key works by each author facilitates the selection process, especially for the more prolific writers in the collection. Along with the opportunity to consider where to go for new reading material, this collection of short profiles may also remind readers of the cult authors they most enjoy reading.

Interesting insight into some cult writers of note. For some I already knew a bit, for others this was a lovely introduction.

<i>I requested this book on Netgalley and am really glad I did!</i>

The book begins with a description of the qualities that the author considers make a writer a cult writer. Then, it provides information about 50 of them. Accompanying each author's brief life history is a colored sketch with a quote from one of their books. Now, this simple review might not entice you to pick up the book immediately. So, I hasten to add that I enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. You can too!

Find out:
Which writer's on-stage kiss set the stage for a riot back in 1907 -- way before Britney and Madonna
Who wrote a book so inspired by Wuthering Heights but set in their own homeland
The name of the author who first questioned the validity of the conviction of the Central Park Five
The identity of the Black Prince of Letters
What the three rules of writing are according to Denis Johnson
Whether all the writings by Kafka survive or not
Yukio Mishima committing seppuku after a failed uprising

A quick, enjoyable, and informative read...this one!

This could've been a nice book for me if I weren't already familiar with a lot of the authors here and expecting a bit more from the book. It features short bio of each author with an illustration of them and what makes them "cult". I guess I wasn't sure how the "cult" definition applied to some of them. It's a nice book to flip though, but I'll be holding out for another book about writers that fits what I'm imagining.

I have said it before and I will say it again. I really like books about books, authors and the art of literature in general. So, Cult Writers 50 Nonconformist Novelists You Need to Know by Ian Haydn Smith was a no-brainer for me.
I liked the way it was written and the selection of writers it included. Through this book I learned about authors I wasn't familiar with but I also learned more things about favorite authors.
I should also mention that the illustrations done by Kristelle Rodeia were very good and perfect for the book.

If you are a book lover, I believe that this books should be on your bookshelves.

Cult Writers: 50 Nonconformist Novelists You Need to Know continues with the short format biographical form and continues it well.

Here we read about fifty novelists who've built up a cult following and since they are cult writers you have heard of them, but the short snippets of information give a great pocket biography of the authors that though succinct is informative.

I'm really enjoying this format of group biography as it's the perfect bedside book, dipping into a couple of chapters a night before falling asleep is great and has no pressure, though it can be misleading and you can get pulled into reading a lot as they are so fascinating.

Great artwork from Kristelle Rodeia complements the text so well.

Another great book from Ian Haydn Smith which has really added to my TBR.

4.5 out of 5 🌟Ultimate TBR guide I need on my shelf

'Cult Writers' book shows portraits of fifty novelists from the last century who are the most memorable personas and were either a symbol or an anti-symbol of their time and culture. Worth to mention that the book presents authors from every part of the world (which is rare in our English-oriented society). Each description includes an informative biography with mentions about the most famous works and what was the inspiration for them.

I really enjoyed this collection, I found a lot of information about the writers I already know and respect, as well as new authors to put on my to-be-read list. Illustrations created by Kristelle Rodeia was captivating and perfectly captured each of the portraited novelists with all their quirks and habits.

This title is a must-have for every bibliophile.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own.*

The one flaw books alleging to provide a list of the definitive '50 cult authors' (or whatever) have is that they're an inherently personal list, and we learn more about the archivist's taste than any of her or his subjects. This book doesn't have that flaw. These definitely are pocket biographies – some over one page, the rare few over a full double-page spread, so we don't learn quite as much as we might – but they give a pointer, a primer, a tease towards what their subjects' legacy might provide us. And their uniform brevity, in that they have to cover all of the authors' background, style and output, as well as pertinent life events and cultural connections, means that even the less convincing entries (it might not be your fault, Eve Babitz) don't diminish what our author has achieved. I generally find books like these too subjective and easy to argue with, but this volume gets it a lot more right than wrong. A strong success, and a strong four stars.

Cult Writers lacked substance, perhaps exerpts of the writers it details. Although the authors were artfully chosen, I was hoping for more out of this book. Rather this book reads like a list and would be good as a brief reference or touchstone before exploring an author's works.

Hmm, this book is a bit hit or miss. Smith is pretty readable but a book like this is always going to cause debate as one person's cult writer is another person's paradigm of boredom.

I think that Smith was brave tackling this as a book because people will invariably home in on the writers they have heard of and turn away from the ones they haven't heard about or whose area of work does not interest them.

This style of book is a tricky proposition. However, that said, I did enjoy browsing through this and found some writers that I had not heard of and whose work I will be looking at in coming months. So, I suppose, in the final analysis, he has accomplished what he set out to do.

Lastly, it is hard to read this book without bewailing the omissions, every reader will be the same, hungering for their pet author to be included. For me the exclusion of HP Lovecraft set me alight!

In the introduction of this collection (after exploring the criteria for what makes a 'cult' writer), Ian Haydn Smith states that "cult fiction is not the preserve of male, white or English-language writers" - a sentiment I couldn't agree with more. I really like that this book covers so many different genres and a broad range of writers from different countries.

There were many writers I'd heard of but not necessarily known why they were cult writers - this book provided a great insight into the lives of these people, accompanied by quotes and lovely illustrations. This has definitely added some new works to my ever-growing to-be-read list. (And although this list of 50 was limited to the last century, and acknowledged from the beginning that there would obviously be some cult writers missing, I was secretly delighted to see my favourite author Angela Carter was included). A great read for any bookworm.

A wonderful and thought-provoking introduction to some of the world's best cult writers! I loved the short biographies and summaries of the themes each writer tackled in their works. The illustrations also captured something of the writers' personalities and definitely added to the text. I really appreciated the list of key works at the end of the book. Thank you for letting me read Cult Writers - I've got a lot of books to go and read now!

A wonderful introduction to a group of cult writers.I found this a really interesting entertaining informative read.Recommend to all who are interested in these authors.#netgalley#quartobooks