Writers who were exiled from their countries for writing

Victor Hugo (France)

19th century French author Victor Hugo was exiled for 15 years for opposing the ruler, Napoleon III. He was exiled to Guernsey where he wrote one of his most celebrated classic, Les Misérables.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (Kenya)

The lion of African literature, he was politically vocal and was even imprisoned by the Kenyan government in 1977 for co-writing the Gikuyu-language play Ngaahika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I Want). Upon release, he was exiled but his pen refused to stop.

Salman Rushdie (India/UK)

A modern example of a writer in exile, Salman Rushdie faced criticism, death threats and even a fatwa back in 1989 for publishing the transgressive novel, Satanic Verses. While he did not face a geographical exile, he had to go into hiding and had to be given police protection.

Isabel Allende (Chile)

Besides being a writer, she was the niece of Chilean President Salvador Allende who was overthrown in the 1973 military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet in Chile. Isabel was forced to exile in 1975 following death threats and stayed in Venezuela for 13 years. Here, she wrote her maiden novel, The House of the Spirits.