Five Catholic Writers (besides J.R.R. Tolkien)
The Catholic Church boasts a line of amazing storytellers who have made an indelible mark in the literary canon. While the most popular of these modern writers is the author of the incredible Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit, this post is to encourage you to find five others that will most and inspire you. You can read profiles of these and many other authors with a Catholic Imagination in Unexpectedly Catholic: Seeds of the Gospel Found in 20 Popular Stories, recently released by Voyage Comics and Publishing.
1. Sigrid Undset
This Danish-born Norwegian novelist was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. Despite being raised by nominal Lutherans who were practical atheists, Undset converted to Catholicism in 1924 and later became a lay Dominican. She fled the Nazis to America in 1940. Her most famous, monumental work, Kristen Lavransdatter, is a trilogy that covers the life of women living in Medieval Norway.
2. Graham Greene
An English writer and journalist, Greene was regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. An author of contemporary and historical fiction, his most popular novel is probably The Power and the Glory, but another gem is The Comedians. His satirical novel, Our Man in Havana, ironically predicted elements of the Cuban missile crisis.
3. Suzanne Collins
Maybe you own the movies, you have read and seen the prequel, and you are anticipating the other upcoming prequel coming out soon, but Suzanne Collins Hunger Games world is vast and visceral. What is lesser known, even lesser known than her highly entertaining Underland Chronicles series
4. J.F. Powers
An American author who may use the most overt Catholic imagery in his novels, Powers is a great example of understanding the psychology of the priest. His first and most famous novel, Morte D’Urban, won the National Book Award in 1963. It tells the story of Father Urban Roche, a member of a fictitious religious order named the Clementines.
5. Flannery O’Connor
This author is joining the ranks of Tolkien when it comes to popularity in Catholic circles. Her dark and gritty short stories, for which she is most well-known, show the darkness of human nature when only the shell of Christianity is present. Her works are becoming more and more relevant and new study of them was recently written by Fr. Damien Ference and published at Word on Fire.