Literary Stamp Collecting

Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (1868-1936), primarily known as Maxim Gorki (or Gorky), was a Russian and Soviet author, a founder of the Socialist Realism literary method and a political activist. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Maxim Gorki, designed by Russian artist Roman Filippovich Zhitkov (1907-1999), printed by lithogravure, and issued by Russia (USSR) on April 3, 1958, Scott No. 2048, Zagorski No. 2044, plus a cropped photo of a painting of the author which was probably the model for this stamp's design.

- nethryk

I recently moved and haven't hooked up my printer/copier yet, but I love the Edna Ferber stamp. Her book of short stories, One Basket, depicts Chicago during its better days. For instance, she transports us back to the "fashionable new area" of Wilson Avenue and Sheridan Road. Even though that area is today a gang ridden slum, I can "see" and "feel" the area when it was in vogue.

Karel Matej Capek-Chod (1860-1927) was a Czech naturalistic writer, editor and journalist. "Chod" was originally a nickname which he added to his family name, supposedly in order to make his name sound more literary! In addition to over a dozen novels and novellas, Capek-Chod wrote in many other genres. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of the writer, designed by Czech artist Vladimir Silovsky (1891-1974), engraved by Jindra Schmidt, and issued by Czechoslovakia on July 15, 1960, Scott No. 998, SG No. 1174, plus an undated photo of Capek-Chod.

- nethryk

Miguel de Cervantes, best known for the novel Don Quixote of La Mancha
Costa Rica 1947
400th birth anniversary

Fran Levstik (1831-1887), Slovene writer, political activist, playwright and critic, and one of the most prominent exponents of the Young Slovene political movement, designed by Yugoslavian artist Bozidar Jakac (1899-1989), engraved by Tanasije Krnjajic, and issued by Yugoslavia on November 28, 1965, Scott No. 793, plus a photo of Levstik which may have been the model for this stamp's design.

- nethryk

Salvador Espriu I Castelló (Santa Coloma de Farners, 1913 - Barcelona, 1985). The best Catalan poet of the generation that fought Francos's dictatorship (1939/1975) and worked for saving Catalan language from genocide.
Its poetic works like "Les Cançons d'Ariadna", "La Pell de Brau" as well as some playwrights, like "Primera Història d'Esther" are very important milestones of contemporary Catalan literature.

Pío Baroja y Nessi (1872-1956) was a popular Spanish Basque writer and novelist of the Generation of '98 literary movement. Many critics consider his masterpiece to be El árbol de la ciencia (1911) (translated as "The Tree of Knowledge"), a pessimistic Bildungsroman that depicts the futility of the pursuit of knowledge and of life in general. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Pío Baroja with a farmhouse in the background, engraved by Pablo Sampedro Molero, and issued by Spain on February 20, 1978, Scott No. 2085, Edifil No. 2458, plus a photograph of the author.

- nethryk

One of my favorite playwrights.

How about Willa Cather American Novelist. (Dec 1873-April 24 1947 ) was an Americian Author who achived recognition for her novels of the frontier life on the Great Plains.

Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke (1885-1962), was a Danish author also known by her pen name Isak Dinesen. Blixen is best known for Out of Africa, her account of living in Kenya, and one of her stories, Babette's Feast, both of which have been adapted into highly acclaimed, Academy Award-winning motion pictures. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Blixen and an African savanna landscape, designed by the late Danish illustrator Johan Alkjær (1939-2011), engraved by Arne Kühlmann, and issued by Denmark on May 5, 1980, Scott No. 664, Facit No. 724, plus a photo of the author which was probably a model for this stamp's design.

- nethryk

François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand (1768-1848) was a French writer, politician, diplomat and historian. He is considered the founder of Romanticism in French literature. Here are images of the six stamps in a set commemorating the bicentenary of Chateaubriand's birth, including a portrait of the author and scenes from five of his novels, designed by French artist Pierrette Lambert, engraved by several French engravers, and issued by Monaco on December 12, 1968, Scott Nos. 698-703.

- nethryk

Chateaubriand and the Château de Combourg, his childhood home, engraved by Michel Monvoisin.


The Genius of Christianity (1802), engraved by Michel Monvoisin.


René (1802), engraved by Pierre Forget.


Adventures of the Last Abencérage (1826), engraved by Louis-Norbert Hanniquet.


The Martyrs (1809), engraved by Robert Cami.


Atala (1801), engraved by Claude Haley.

Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870) was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen. Here is an image of a semi-postal stamp featuring a portrait of Mérimée, and Carmen near the amphitheater, designed by Clément Serveau, engraved by Claude Haley, and issued by France on February 14, 1970, Scott No. B436, Y&T No. 1624, plus an image of an undated portrait of the author.

- nethryk

Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) was a French novelist, perhaps best known for his 1872 novel Tartarin of Tarascon about a small town hero's burlesque adventures. Here are images od the two stamps in a set honoring Daudet, designed by Pierrette Lambert, and issued by Senegal on June 24, 1972 to commemorate the novel's centenary, Scott Nos. 362 & 363.

- nethryk

Tartarin shoots a lion in Algeria, engraved by Gilbert Aufschneider.


Alphonse Daudet, engraved by Eugène Lacaque.

Hello, I'm new to this forum! I've been collecting stamps for about 8 months now, and it's funny because a stamp featuring the Paddington Bear actually got me interested in philately. Ever since my main focus was literary stamps featuring illustrations from books, famous authors and their characters, or even just portraits of someone reading a book. I'm glad to see this topic, so hopefully I can contribute too once I figure out how to upload pictures.

Just for the curious my other philatelic interests include worldwide stamps with whales, mint issues from Canada, China, Japan and Russia. I've been recently playing with an idea of collecting US stamps too, but I think I'm already stretching myself thin as it is. I'll have to look for topics on this forum about making a DIY supplement pages for my collection, because I'm a complete newbie at this.

Andrea: l look forward to seeing your stamp images when you have figured out how to do it. It took me longer than most to do it right but eventually I got it and was mad at myself once I knew how simple it was.