In Williamson’s case, his birthplace (Arizona) became a state after he was born. Few people in 2001 could make that claim.
Oh yeah. Crotalus referred that book to me and I am so glad he did.
Robertson Davies was an older writer, if not past 80. Shoulda won a Nobel - his books are simply wonderful.
Wallace Stegner was older than he should’ve been before he found fame. His book Crossing to Safety was a bestseller later in his life. He won both the Pulitzer and National Book Award in his 60’s.
(checking Wikipedia…)
His last novel, The Cunning Man, was published the year he turned 81. IIRC (it’s been a while since I read it) it was up to his usual high standards.
Patrick O’Brian wrote his last Aubrey-Maturin novels in his eighties. The series is certainly a classic although the final few novels are arguably not quite up to par.
Although he wrote his more famous works before he was 80, Voltaire continued to publish after he reached that age, including the drama Irere.
Not quite 80, but Frank McCourt was 66 when he published “Angela’s Ashes”, which won both the Pulitzer Prize for autobiography and the National Book Critics Circle award.
Much of Thomas Hardy’s best poetry was written when he was in his 70s and 80s, after the death of his wife. It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s many more poets who wrote well at an old age.
Toni Morrison is in her 80s, and still writing. I’ve not read her recent novels, but they’ve received some good reviews.
I don’t know if this would count, but Charles Crichton, British movie director with “The Lavender Hill Mob” and some other Ealing classics in his curriculum, co-wrote and directed “A Fish Called Wanda” in 1988 when he was 78 years old. I humbly contend that “A Fish Called Wanda” is, indeed, a classic.
It is not literature, but given that Crichton had co-writing credit in the script…