Daniel Defoe

Writer

Name at birth: Daniel Foe

Daniel Defoe is generally considered to be England's first true novelist. His book Robinson Crusoe (1719), the tale of a sailor shipwrecked alone on a deserted island, is a classic of English literature. (The novel was based on the true-life story of Alexander Selkirk.) Defoe also wrote the well-known novel Moll Flanders (1722) and the lesser-known Roxana (1724) among many other works.

Extra credit: DeFoe was born as Daniel Foe, but later added the aristocratic-sounding "De" to his name.

Miguel de Cervantes is generally considered the first true novelist from any country... Other top English novelists include Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen.