41 Over 40: Novelists Debuting Over Age 40 (PHOTOS)

I tried to resist writing this -- especially after my plea against categorizing authors. Plus, so many of us hide our age in this world of never-get-old, unearthing this information, even in our Google-ized world, was difficult.

But, recently, along with the plethora of lists of writers under 40, I was faced with the declaration that, as headlined in a Guardian UK article about writers, "Let's Face It, After 40 You're Past It."

Then I read Sam Tanenhaus opine in the New York Times that there was "an essential truth about fiction writers: They often compose their best and most lasting work when they are young. 'There's something very misleading about the literary culture that looks at writers in their 30s and calls them 'budding' or 'promising,' when in fact they're peaking.'"

Thus, in the interest not of division, but of keeping up the flagging spirits of those who don't want to be pushed out on the ice floe until after publishing all those words jangling in their head, I present 41 Over 40:

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Paul Harding

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His debut novel "Tinkers" won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, published when he was 42.

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His debut novel "Tinkers" won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, published when he was 42.

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NoraHuffposter said on 11 Saturday 2010 pm30 6:11 pm: I am dismayed that even the world of literature has succumbed to today's Guinness-type of record keeping. It was only a few weeks ago that some publishing company was building hype for signing a 5-year to a multi-book deal or some similar absurdity. Writing (fiction or non-fiction), to me, has been the one thing in which I appreciated insights and a facility with language. A beautiful, well-crafted story a bonus. I blame publishing companies, in part, for promoting some writers into celebrity status for their youth alone. I don't care for whiz kids, teens, 20 or 30-something exalted only because of age. I really wish this list didn't need to be compiled at all. As people live longer, they are condemned to a much narrower period when success and creative are to be expected. How sad and bizarre.

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