page_title: List of atheist authors
section_title: L–M
hierarchical_section_title: List of atheist authors / Authors / L–M
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837) nel celebre ritratto di S.. Ferrazzi
context_page_description: This is a list of atheist authors. Mentioned in this list are people whose atheism is relevant to their notable activities or public life, and who have publicly identified themselves as atheists.
context_section_description: Pär Lagerkvist (1891–1974): Swedish author who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1951. He used religious motifs and figures from the Christian tradition without following the doctrines of the church.
  Philip Larkin CH, CBE, FRSL (1922–1985): English poet, novelist and jazz critic.
  Stieg Larsson (1954–2004): Swedish journalist, author of the Millennium Trilogy and the founder of the anti-racist magazine Expo.
  Marghanita Laski (1915–1988): English journalist and novelist, also writing literary biography, plays and short stories.
  Rutka Laskier (1929–1943): Polish Jew who was killed at Auschwitz concentration camp at the age of 14. Because of her diary, on display at Israel's Holocaust museum, she has been dubbed the "Polish Anne Frank."
  Anton Szandor LaVey (1930–1997): founder of LaVeyan Satanism and Church of Satan.
  Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018): American author. She has written novels, children's books, and short stories, mainly in the genres of fantasy and science fiction.
  Stanisław Lem (1921–2006): Polish science fiction novelist and essayist.
  Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837): Italian poet, linguist, essayist and philosopher. Leopardi is legendary as an out-and-out nihilist.
  Primo Levi (1919–1987): Italian novelist and chemist, survivor of Auschwitz concentration camp. Levi is quoted as saying "There is Auschwitz, and so there cannot be God."
  Michael Lewis (born 1960): American financial journalist and non-fiction author of Liar's Poker, Moneyball, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game and The Big Short
  Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951): American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, which was awarded "for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters."
  Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–1799): German scientist, satirist, philosopher and anglophile. Known as one of Europe's best authors of aphorisms. Satirized religion using aphorisms like "I thank the Lord a thousand times for having made me become an atheist."
  Eliza Lynn Linton (1822–1898): Victorian novelist, essayist, and journalist.
  John W. Loftus (19??–present): Former Evangelical minister. Author of Why I Became an Atheist, The Christian Delusion, The End of Christianity, and The Outsider Test for Faith. Host of the website, Debunking Christianity.
  Jack London (1876–1916): American author, journalist, and social activist.
  Pierre Loti (1850–1923): French novelist and travel writer.
  H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937): American horror writer.
  Franco Lucentini (1920–2002): Italian writer, journalist, translator and editor of anthologies.
  Lucian (125–180): Roman Syrian rhetorician and satirist who wrote in Greek; a religious skeptic and debunker often regarded as an atheist in the modern sense, whose position in the Roman Imperial administration makes it unlikely he professed atheism
  Norman MacCaig (1910–1996): Scottish poet, whose work is known for its humour, simplicity of language and great popularity.
  Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) "was [...] a connoisseur of depravity; an atheist who passionately hated the clergy, who thought the institution of the Catholic Church should be dismantled [...]"
  Colin Mackay (1951–2003): British poet and novelist.
  David Marcus (1924–2009): Irish Jewish editor and writer, a lifelong advocate and editor of Irish fiction.
  Roger Martin du Gard (1881–1958): French author, winner of the 1937 Nobel Prize for Literature.
  Stephen Massicotte (born 1969): Canadian playwright, screenwriter and actor.
  W. Somerset Maugham CH (1874–1965): English playwright, novelist, and short story writer, one of the most popular authors of his era.
  Joseph McCabe (1867–1955): English writer, anti-religion campaigner.
  Mary McCarthy (1912–1989): American writer and critic.
  James McDonald (born 1953): British writer, whose books include Beyond Belief, 2000 Years Of Bad Faith In The Christian Church
  Ian McEwan, CBE (born 1948): British author and winner of the Man Booker Prize.
  Barry McGowan (born 1961
caption: Leopardi
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