15 Powerful Quotes By Writers We Lost In 2014

"I have failed at many things, but I have never been afraid."

Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

1. Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014)

Olivier Douliery / Abaca Press / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

American poet, author, and essayist. Her works include seven autobiographies and the poem "And Still I Rise".

2. Gabriel García Márquez (1927 – 2014)

Edgard Garrido / Reuters / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

Colombian author and Nobel Prize winner. His works include Love in the Time of Cholera and One Hundred Years of Solitude.

3. Sue Townsend (1946 – 2014)

Michael Crabtree / AP Photo / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

British comic author and creator of Adrian Mole.

4. Harold Ramis (1944 – 2014)

Donna Ward / Abaca Press / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

American actor, screenwriter, and director of films such as Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters, and National Lampoon's Animal House.

5. Walter Dean Myers (1937 – 2014)

Charles Sykes / AP Photo / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

American author of over 100 books for children and young adults, including Fallen Angels and Monster. Also a passionate literacy campaigner.

6. Nadine Gordimer (1923 – 2014)

Guillermo Arias / AP Photo / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

Nobel Prize-winning South African author and anti-apartheid activist.

7. Mavis Gallant (1922 – 2014)

Ian Barrett / AP Photo / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

Montreal-born short-story writer who lived in Paris for much of her life.

8. Nancy Garden (1938 – 2014)

Flickr: ala_members / CreativeCommons / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

American author of YA novels such as Annie on My Mind and LGBT rights activist.

9. Ruby Dee (1922 – 2014)

Charley Gallay / Getty Images / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

American actor, screenwriter, poet, playwright, and activist.

10. Eric Hill (1927 – 2014)

John Stillwell / PA Wire / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

British author and illustrator who created the Spot the Dog books.

11. P.D. James (1920 – 2014)

Zak Hussein / PA Archive / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

British author of books such as the Adam Dalgliesh series, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, and The Children of Men.

12. Jeremy Lloyd (1930 – 2014)

John Stillwell / PA Wire / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

British actor and writer who created classic sitcoms such as Are You Being Served? and 'Allo 'Allo! (and a handful of beloved catchphrases).

13. Mark Strand (1934 – 2014)

Carolyn Contino / REX USA / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

American poet and writer who was a former US Poet Laureate.

14. Dorothy Salisbury Davis (1916 – 2014)

Matthew Peyton / Getty Images / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

American crime fiction author of over 20 books, including the Mrs Norris and Julie Hayes series.

15. Rik Mayall (1958 – 2014)

Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images / Daniel Dalton / BuzzFeed

British comedian, actor, and writer who co-created the sitcoms Bottom and The Young Ones.