See also: 15th century in literature, other events of the 16th century, 17th century in literature, list of years in literature.

Events

• The Bible is translated into English.

New Books

1501 - The Book of Margery Kempe (posthumous)

1503 - The Thrissill and the Rois - William Dunbar

1505 - The Passtyme of Pleasure and The Temple of Glass - Stephen Hawes

1508 - The Goldyn Targe - William Dunbar

1509 - In Praise of Folly - Erasmus

1512 - Fulgens and Lucrece - Henry Medwall

1513 - First translation of the Aeneid into English language (Scots dialect) by Gavin Douglas

1515 - The New Chronicles of England and France by Robert Fabyan

about 1516 - Utopia by Thomas More

1527 - Historia Scotorum - Hector Boece

1535 - Huon of Bordeaux - John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners

1539 - The Castel of Helth - Sir Thomas Elyot

1540 - Historia Scotorum of Hector Boece, translated into vernacular Scots by John Bellenden at the special request of James V of Scotland

1541 - Baptistes and Jephtha - George Buchanan

1542 - The Union of the Two Noble and Illustrate Famelies of Lancastre & Yorke - Edward Hall

1545 - Toxophilus - Roger Ascham

about 1553 - Gammer Gurton's Needle and Ralph Roister Doister, the first comedies written in the English language

1559 - The Elizabethan version of the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, which remained in use until the mid-17th century and was the first English Prayer Book in America.

1560 - The Geneva Bible - William Whittingham, Anthony Gilby , Thomas Sampson

1562

• Bullein's Bulwarke of Defence againste all Sicknes, Sornes, and Woundes - William Bullein
• Gorboduc (play) - Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville
• Jack Juggler (play) - anonymous, sometimes attributed to Nicholas Udall

1563

• Foxe's Book of Martyrs - John Foxe

1577

• The Chronicles of England, Scotland and Irelande - Raphael Holinshed
• The History of Travayle in the West and East Indies - Richard Eden

1578

• A True Discourse of the Late Voyages of Discoverie…under the Conduct of Martin Frobisher - George Best
• Euphues: the Anatomy of Wit - John Lyly
• First Fruits - John Florio

1579

• Honest Excuses - Thomas Lodge
• The Schoole of Abuse - Stephen Gosson

1582

• Divers Voyages - Richard Hakluyt
• Rerum Scoticarum Historia - George Buchanan

1583

• The Anatomy of Abuses - Philip Stubbe

1584

• The Araygnement of Paris - George Peele

1585

• La Galatea - Miguel de Cervantes

1586

• A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia - Thomas Hariot
• Historie of the Reformatioun of Religioun within the Realms of Scotland - John Knox
• The Raigne of Edward III - anonymous, attributed by some to William Shakespeare
• The Arte of English Poesie - attributed to George Puttenham
• Primera parte de la Angélica - Luis Barahona de Soto
• Pappe with an hatchet, alias a figge for my Godsonne - John Lyly

1590

• Arcadia - Sir Philip Sidney (posthumous)
• Rosalynde - Thomas Lodge

1591

• Astrophel and Stella - Sir Philip Sidney (posthumous)

1592

• Diana - Henry Constable
• The Spanish Tragedy (play) - Thomas Kyd
• The Tragedy of Mr Arden of Feversham (play) - anonymous (previously attributed to William Shakespeare)
• Groatsworth of Wit - Robert Greene
• Foure Letters and certaine Sonnets - Gabriel Harvey
• The Shepherd's Garland - Michael Drayton

1593

• Peirs Gaveston - Michael Drayton

1594

• The Battle of Alcazar (play) - George Peele
• Cleopatra (play) - Samuel Daniel
• Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie - Richard Hooker
• The Seamans Secrets - Sir John Davys

1595

• Colin Clouts Come Home Againe - Edmund Spenser
• Poemata - Thomas Campion
• An Apologie for Poetrie - Sir Philip Sidney (posthumous)

1596

• Orchestra, or a Poeme of Dauncing - Sir John Davies
• The Civell Warres of Edward the Second and the Barrons - Michael Drayton
• The Faerie Queene - Edmund Spenser
• The Discoverie of the Large, Rich and Beautiful Empyre of Guiana by Sir Walter Raleigh

1597

• Englands Heroicall Epistles - Michael Drayton

1598

• Every Man in his Humour (play) - Ben Jonson
• The Scottish Historie of James the Fourth (play) - Robert Greene
• Palladis Tamia, Wits Treasury - Francis Meres
• Politeuphuia (Wits' Commonwealth) - John Bodenham
• Survey of London - John Stow

1599

• Every Man out of his Humour (play) - Ben Jonson
• Hymnes of Astraea (poetry) - Sir John Davies
• Nosce Teipsum (poetry) - Sir John Davies
• The Love of King David and Faire Bethsabe (poetry) - George Peele
• Wits' Theater - John Bodenham

Births

• 1515 - Roger Ascham
• 1547 - Miguel de Cervantes
• 1551 - William Camden
• 1555 - Lancelot Andrewes
• 1558 - Robert Greene
• 1558 - Thomas Kyd
• 1561 - Luís de Góngora y Argote
• 1564 - Christopher Marlowe
• 1564 - William Shakespeare
• 1570 - Robert Aytoun
• 1572 - Ben Jonson
• 1576 - John Marston
• 1577 - Robert Burton
• 1581 - Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft
• 1583 - Philip Massinger
• 1587 - Joost van den Vondel

Deaths

• 1502 - Henry Medwall
• 1513 - Robert Fabyan
• 1552 - Alexander Barclay
• 1563 - John Bale
• 1568 - Roger Ascham
• 1577 - George Gascoigne
• 1592 - Robert Greene
• 1593 - Christopher Marlowe
• 1594 - Thomas Kyd
• 1595 - Luis Barahona de Soto