See also: 1955 in literature, other events of 1956, 1957 in literature, list of years in literature.
Events
New books
New drama
Poetry
Births
- January 2 - Storm Constantine
- March 23 - Steven Saylor, historical novelist
- May 4 - David Guterson, journalist and novelist
- May 20 - Boris Akunin, novelist and essayist
- June 9 - Patricia Cornwell, crime novelist
- October 9 - Robert Reed, science fiction author
- October 13 - Chris Carter, screenwriter
- November 26 - John McCarthy, journalist and kidnap victim
- date unknown - James Belich, historian
- date unknown - Amy Gerstler, poet
- date unknown - Jack Womack, novelist
Deaths
- January 14 - Sheila Kaye-Smith, novelist
- January 31 - A.A. Milne, dramatist and children's author
- March 30 - Edmund Clerihew Bentley, novelist and inventor of the clerihew
- May 20 - Max Beerbohm, humorist
- June 22 - Walter de la Mare, poet
- July 8 - Giovanni Papini, essayist, poet, novelist
- August 14 - Bertolt Brecht, dramatist
- September 6 - Michael Ventris, linguist
- December 13 - Arthur Grimble, travel writer
- December 25 - Robert Walser, novelist
Awards
1956 books
1956 en littérature | 1956 - literatura | Litteraturåret 1956