Who is your favourite author?

[CockleburIck]

Looking to explore literary pastures new, so need some inspiration!

My long term favourites have always been Charles Dickens and Jane Austin. Love the language and the humour.
And, more up to date I also enjoy a bit of Stephen King: so much warmth, humanity and humour in his writing, even, or especially, when writing about horrible things.
Also like David Mitchell, the occasional Martin Amis, and earlier Ian McEwan (he got sloppy and pretentious latterly)

What about you?

Muriel Spark - not just The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, but The Comforters, A Far Cry From Kensington and The Girls of Slender Means (and many others). Sharp and very well-observed.

Thomas Hardy - any of his major novels, but especially Jude the Obscure, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Far From the Madding Crowd and The Mayor of Casterbridge.

Stella Gibbons - Cold Comfort Farm.

Val McDermid
Terry Pratchett
Jo Nesbo
Mick Herron
JK Rowling
Stephen King
Ruth Rendell
Robin Hobb

Georgette Heyer
Lindsay Buroker
Janny Wurts

Robin Hobb

Thanks!

A good selection there, and I do like all sorts of things.
I'd forgotten about Thomas Hardy... there are still a couple of his I hadn't read.

Try French dickens op, balzax. Extraordinary man.

Good call, @DancingDaughter50 I haven't read any Balzac, but I do love a bit of Victor Hugo!

He's amazing. Try old goriot, cousin bette and zola nana

William Trevor

Harlan Coben
Robert Crais
David Baldacci
Rachel Hore
Francis Brody

Jane Green

I haven't heard of some of these, and will be looking up all of your suggestions.
When an author is actually someone's favourite (or one of them at least) it suggests they're consistently good, or at least have something consistent to anticipate and appreciate in their writing style.

Thanks for all your responses.

Margaret Atwood
Barbara Kingsolver
Ann Patchett (Bel Canto was brilliant!)
Sebastian Faulks (but hated Engleby)

But I'm a sucker for a debut novel too. Especially enjoyed Hannah Kent Burial Rites

Martina cole
Marian Keyes
B a Paris
JK Rowling
Cathy Kelly

James Herbert is my all time favourite

TM Logan
Jessica Redland
JK Rowling

If you love the humour and language of Jane Austen and Dickens (as I do) I highly recommend Trollope. He wrote masses, but I'd start with the Barsetshire Chronicles, the first of which is The Warden.

Also Hardy, George Eliot, Rebecca West and Margaret Attwood.

Bloody hell, I spelt Austen wrong in my OP, even though I do know how to spell it!
I have read Jane Austen, honestly!

Lionel Shriver, Douglas Stuart and Bernadine Evaristo

Some good recommendations here already

I came here to say Balzac but someone beat me to it! Germinal is my favourite.
Henry James - Portrait of a Lady - long but well worth it.
Modern authors Hilary Mantel, Rose Tremain (esp The Road Home), David Gutterson and Patrick Gale.

Ursula le Guin , possibly the most imaginative author I have ever read.

Mary Renault for the power to take you back in time without any false language

Norah Lofts for English historical non romance

Alexander McCall Smith

Margaret Atwood
Terry Pratchett
Julian May

And my all time favourite as mentioned above - Ursula le Guin. Imaginative, and incredible storyteller, and deeply feminist.

(Can you tell I like fantasy??)

Also love a lot of non-fiction writers, Bill Bryson is a favourite. I like mainly travel and scientific books.

Rose Tremain - for the amazing variety and Jonathan Coe.

When I'm lying in bed waiting for sleep to come, I mull over my favourite books list, and imagine I've been told I'm not allowed any new books and can only ever reread say fifty - a sort of Desert Island Books thing. I find I can fine prune my authors list more easily than the books list...

Monica Dickens
Dick Francis
Agatha Christie
Rebecca West
Bill Bryson
Angela Thirkell
Stella Gibbons
Dodie Smith
P G Wodehouse
Margaret Drabble
Terry Pratchett
Stephen King
E M Delafield
L P Hartley
Elizabeth von Arnim
Douglas Adams
Mary Webb
Tracey Chevalier
So many, many more...