See also: 1611 in literature, other events of 1612, 1613 in literature, list of years in literature.

Events

• London theatres move from the south to the north bank of the Thames.
• Death of Carlos Félix, the favourite son of Lope de Vega.
• The Accademia della Crusca publishes the first dictionary of the Italian language.

New books

• John Davies - Discoverie of the True Causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued
• John Davies of Hereford - The Picture of a Happy Man
• Antonius Magirus - Koock-boeck ofte Familieren kevken-boeck

New drama

• Beaumont and Fletcher - The Coxcomb
• Nathaniel Field - A Woman is a Weather-Cocke

Poetry

• Expanded edition of The Passionate Pilgrim
• George Wither - Elegy on the death of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales

Births

• February 28 - John Pearson, theologian and scholar
• December 4 - Samuel Butler, poet
• date unknown - Antoine Arnauld, theologian and philosopher
• date unknown - Thomas Killigrew, dramatist
• date unknown - Edward King, British poet
• probable - John Rushworth, author of the "Rushworth Collections"

Deaths

• March 16 - Thomas Holland, theologian and translator of the Bible
• April 11 - Emanuel van Meteren, historian
• July 29 - Jacques Bongars, diplomat and scholar
• August 4 - Hugh Broughton, Biblical scholar
• September - Giovanni de' Bardi, music theorist and critic
• September 27 - Piotr Skarga, hagiographer
• October 7 - Giovanni Battista Guarini, poet
• date unknown - Robert Armin, actor
• date unknown - Pierre de Larivey, dramatist

1612 books