Beowulf
The foundational anonymous Old English epic and the clearest entry point into anonymous literary authorship.
Author guide
Anonymous Books in Order
Anonymous is not a single historical person but an umbrella author designation used for works with no securely identifiable author. This record includes substantial standalone anonymous works and anonymous collective texts; dates for medieval works represent approximate composition or earliest surviving manuscript dates when no publication date exists. Works later conclusively attributed to named authors, works published under identifiable pseudonyms, reprints, and individual pieces preserved only within collections are excluded.
poetryepicromancenoveldramanonfictionmemoirreligious literaturefolklorechroniclegrimoirehorror
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
A compact, highly influential medieval romance representing the Gawain Poet corpus.
One Thousand and One Nights
The major anonymous multilingual story collection and a central work of world literature.
The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities
A foundational anonymous early-modern novel.
Read in order
Books by series
corpus · complete
Gawain Poet corpus
The five substantial works traditionally attributed to the anonymous Middle English poet known as the Gawain Poet.
- 1 Pearl
Book 1 · poem · 1375
- 2 Cleanness
Book 2 · poem · 1375
- 3 Patience
Book 3 · poem · 1375
- 4 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Book 4 · romance poem · 1375
- 5 St. Erkenwald
Book 5 · poem · 1375
- 1 The Book with No Name
Book 1 · novel · 2006
- 2 The Eye of the Moon
Book 2 · novel · 2009
Following a massive rampage that left the streets of Santa Mondega soaked with blood, the elusive supernatural serial killer known only as the Bourbon Kid is now himself being haunted. Hot on his heels are several vampire gangs, the…
- 3 The Devil's Graveyard
Book 3 · novel · 2010
The Devil's Graveyard is a rip-roaring addition to the series by the author with no name, which is guaranteed to be every bit as gory, fast-paced and adrenaline-pumping as the previous novels. Not to be missed!
- 4 The Book of Death
Book 4 · novel · 2011
Believing the Bourbon Kid to be dead, the Egyptian Mummy Rameses Gaius has formed an undead army to take over the city of Santa Mondega. Vampires and werewolves are swarming the streets killing thousands of innocents. The local cops have…
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (8)
- Narrative of Some Things of New Spain and of the Great City of Temestitan
nonfiction chronicle · 1550
- The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities
novel · 1554
Cuando su padre fallece, Lázaro González es puesto por su madre al servicio de un ciego bastante cruel, el primero de distintos amos que lo despertarán a las desdichas del mundo y le enseñarán que la astucia es una buena herramienta para…
- The String of Pearls
novel · 1846
- The Autobiography of a Flea
novel · 1901
Can men of the cloth ever escape temptation? A young maiden, Bella, and her boyfriend Charlie consummate their passion under the moonlight, shrouded in petticoats. Little do they know that someone has been watching them – a priest – who…
- The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler
nonfiction · 1939
- O: A Presidential Novel
novel · 2011
Offers a fictional account of the prominent figures and issues surrounding the 2012 presidential election.
- Lucy in the Sky
novel · 2012
The author of this diary began journaling on her sixteenth birthday. She lived in an upper middle class neighborhood in Santa Monica with her mom, dad, and Berkeley-bound older brother. She was a good girl, living a good life...but one…
- Letting Ana Go
diary novel · 2013
In the tradition of "Go Ask Alice" and "Lucy in the Sky" comes a harrowing account of one's teen's bout with anorexia and addiction.
Nonfiction (4)
- Corpus Hermeticum
religious-philosophical collection · 0200
- The Way of a Pilgrim
memoir · 1884
The Way of a Pilgrim is the English title of a 19th century anonymous Russian work, detailing the narrator's journey across the country while discovering practicing the Jesus Prayer devoutly, with the help of a prayer rope, and studying…
- A Woman in Berlin
memoir · 1954
April-May, 1945 Berlin-A Perilous Place For A Woman!, April 22, 2009 By Bernie Weisz "a historian specializing in the Vietnam War (Pembroke Pines,Florida) E mail:BernWei1@aol.com Written originally for Amazon.com April 22, 2009 This…
- The Incest Diary
memoir · 2017
Throughout her childhood and adolescence, the anonymous author of The Incest Diary was raped by her father. Beneath a veneer of normal family life, she grew up in and around this all-encompassing secret. Her sexual relationship with her…
Short fiction (2)
- One Thousand and One Nights
story collection · 0900
- The Book of Dede Korkut
story collection · 1500
Poetry (3)
- Beowulf
epic poem · 1000
- Cantar de Mio Cid
epic poem · 1207
El *Poema de mio Cid*, o *Cantar de mio Cid,* es un cantar de gesta anónimo que relata hazañas heroicas inspiradas libremente en los últimos años de la vida del caballero castellano Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar el Campeador. La versión…
- Poetic Edda
poetry collection · 1270
Plays (2)
- The Second Shepherds' Play
play · 1450
- La Farce de maître Pierre Pathelin
play · 1460
Other (4)
- Gesta Hungarorum
chronicle · 1200
- The Secret History of the Mongols
chronicle · 1240
- The Key of Solomon
grimoire · 1400
- The Books of Chilam Balam
religious-historical collection · 1700
Frequently asked questions about Anonymous
Who is Anonymous?
Anonymous is not one identifiable writer. In literary and library usage, it is a designation for work whose authorship is unknown, uncertain, undisclosed, fictitious, or pseudonymous.
Source: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)
Does Anonymous have a known biography?
No. Because Anonymous is an umbrella designation rather than a single person, there is no shared birthplace, lifespan, education, or career to document.
Source: doi.org (opens in a new tab)
Why are some works credited to Anonymous?
Anonymity may be deliberate, resulting from a decision by an author, editor, or publisher, or it may result from an identity being unknown or lost over time. Cataloguers do not invent a personal name when authorship cannot be established.
Sources: doi.org (opens in a new tab)loc.gov (opens in a new tab)
Has Anonymous won any literary awards?
There is no meaningful author-level award record for Anonymous as a whole, because the name does not identify one person or unified oeuvre. Awards must instead be checked against a particular anonymous work, edition, translation, or later attribution.
Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)doi.org (opens in a new tab)
What is Anonymous’s literary legacy?
Anonymous works remain important subjects of literary study even when their creators cannot be identified. Scholars may use descriptive labels for unknown writers and investigate authorship through style, historical context, and manuscript evidence.
Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)poetryfoundation.org (opens in a new tab)