With Christmas just around the corner—and if you're like me, some last-minute shopping to do—here are some excellent gift ideas at varying price points to entertain and inform the writers on your list. Follow the links to purchase.
Writer Playing Cards ($10)
The Writer's Playing Cards deck will be a favorite for the book lover in your life, especially if they enjoy playing cards, as well. Each suit is a different genre and each card contains a watercolor portrait of a literary master. The genres featured are: Midcentury, Modern, Contemporary, and Post-Modern. Some of the literary greats featured include Marcel Proust, J.K. Rowling, Toni Morrison, John Updike, William Faulkner, Margaret Atwood, George Orwell, and Gertrude Stein, among others.
Absinthe Making Kit ($45)
From Keats to Byron, the blended history of writers and absinthe is and intriguing one. Impress the writer in your life with this absinthe-making kit, inviting their very own experience with the "Green Fairy."
Created by Ryan and Melanie Belshee, this kit contains everything you need (except your favorite high-proof spirit) to transform your night's drink into this storied and unique liquid that was beloved by 19th century artists and writers. Ingredients include: Fennel, Anise, Licorice, Lemon Peel, Hyssop, Angelica, Wormwood, Melissa, and Artemisia—all certified organic herbs.
The kit also includes a 500 ml Tortuga antique green bottle with a custom label, a 4-inch funnel, a natural coffee filter, and easy instructions for how to brew the concoction (which yields 500 ML).
The Writer's Map (Hardcover) ($30.49)
Writers are well-known for their travels and there is no better cartography representation of those travels than The Writer's Map, which is an atlas of the journeys of some of the best storytellers in human history.
This full-color, beautifully illustrated book provides a collection of 167 pages of maps that not only appear in their books, but also are parts of the sketches and inspiration of famous writers, including their own personal journeys. Some of the features of the book include:
- Philip Pullman's experience of drawing a map as he began one of his early novels, The Tin Princess
- Miraphora Mina's "The Marauder's Map," which was drawn for the Harry Potter films
- David Mitchell's Mappa Mundi by way of Cloud Atlas and his personal sketch maps
- Robert Macfarlane's reflections on the cartophilia that informed his nature writing, which was inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's map of Treasure Island
- Joanne Harris' fascination with Norse cartography
- Reif Larsen's thoughts on our dependence on GPS and the desire to map the human experience
- Daniel Reeve's reflections on drawing maps and charts for The Hobbit film trilogy
Literary Candles ($16)
Writers enjoy the perfect ambiance in which to write, and nothing creates that better than these literary soy candles, named for the locations in literary classics.
Created by Callie Meaney and sold individually, these candles evoke famous scenes in literature, including Alice in Wonderland's madcap tea party, Sherlock Holmes' study, Jane Eyre's rose garden, or an ivy-filled escape out of Pride and Prejudice. They feature custom-blended fragrances and are hand-poured in Valley Stream, New York.
The fragrances of each scene are:
- Black currant tea and leather books for Sherlock Holmes home at 221B Baker Street
- Bergamot, lavender, mandarin, thyme, and ylang ylang, with a touch of jasmine for Alice in Wonderland's Mad Tea Party
- Roses and rain water for Jane Eyre and Thornfield Garden
- Lily, lilac, rose, hyacinth, and ivy for Pride and Prejudice and Pemberley
The Raven Writing Gloves ($26)
These handmade, fingerless, literary writing gloves are 100% cotton and are the perfect gift for the writer in your life whose hands get cold in the winter. They contain the words of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," along with an original illustration by Storiarts designer Tori Tissell.
Leather Journal and Fountain Pen Set ($152)
This elegant writer's journal gift set combines a Lincoln Tornado Fountain Pen, black Iroshizuku ink, and the classic Messenger Journal from Rustic. The Fountain Pen features a contour grip section, extended barrel length, medium nib, full antique copper finish with black trim and can be refilled. The Iroshizuku ink is dye-based and black. The journal is handcrafted with top-grain leather, a fold-over flap, and secure double wrap closure, featuring cream-colored, rough-cut pages that are handsewn into the binding. The journal is available in multiple colors, including charcoal, dark brown, saddle, black, burgundy, buckskin, ocean, stone, and natural. The kit is packaged inside a pinewood gift box with a sliding lid and leather handle.
The Writer's Companion Bibliophile Small Vase ($19.99)
The Writer's Companion ceramic vase is a unique vase that can hold the tools of the writer's trade or flowers—whatever inspires your favorite writer! It features a quote by John Keats on the back, "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever," and is illustrated by Jane Mount.
Writers vs. Writers Insults Chart ($25)
This full-color Writer vs. Writer Insult Chart, showing the art of the insult, contains famous, sharp-tongued put-downs from writers ranging from Jane Austen's "You have delighted us long enough," and Shakespeare's "Away, thou issue of a mangy dog," to Noel Coward's "He is completely unspoiled by failure."
Created by Tim and Aurelia Sanders, who think people should enjoy more mirth, this unique gift for the writer in your life is sure to bring both laughter and inspiration, and fits perfectly as décor in anyone's office or studio.
Writer's Block Coffee® ($15.99)
Writer's Block Coffee® is a company that was started by writers and features medium roast coffee that is roasted just for you after you place your order. Made from top 5% of coffee beans on Earth (single-origin Ethiopia, natural process), this coffee has a smooth, brownie/berry flavor profile and is sure to please the writer in your life who knows his or her coffee. Even better—a portion of annual sales are donated to First Book, a children's literacy non-profit.
Ernest Hemingway Necklace ($14.39 - $17.39)
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.
Such is the famous quote from American writer, Ernest Hemingway, and will make a beautiful, thoughtful present for the writer on your gift-buying list. This literary necklace is handmade and especially created for writers and book lovers who understand the intensity of Hemingway's words. The quote is printed and then sealed beneath a magnifying glass dome in Cork, Ireland. The pendant measures 1 inch (25mm) in diameter and comes in a choice of finishes: silver, bronze, antique silver, or antique bronze. You can purchase this as a necklace (with a chain of 18 or 24 inches), a keychain or a pinback brooch.
The Writing Manifesto 18"x24" Writing Poster ($29.39)
This Writing Manifesto Poster will make the perfect inspirational gift for the writer, author or poet in your life. It provides inspiration and words to ignite creative energy on a matte, museum-quality poster that is printed on durable, archival paper and comes unframed.
Bibliophilia: 100 Literary Postcards ($15.47)
These literary postcards were created by illustrator Evan Robertson of Obvious State Studio and feature illustrations and memorable quotes from some of literature's best-loved authors. For example, included is an F. Scott Fitzgerald quote set against a Jazz Age champagne glass, Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights seen as puzzle pieces, or Immanuel Kant's musings against a constellation-filled night sky. The set contains 100 4 1/2" x 6 ½" postcards, with each being printed twice (50 different authors).
BestSelf WordSmith Deck ($24.99)
100 Intellectually Stimulating Writing Prompts were designed by BestSelf Co. to inspire journaling, cure writer's block, cultivate creative writing and sharpen writing skills. Featuring 100 prompts focused on fueling creativity, these writing cards help solve writer's block while simultaneously sharpening writing skills and developing emotional intelligence. They help writers effectively take on a creative perspective, and are packed with inspiring writing prompts that are divided across six categories (life, self, education, world, relationships and random).
Dictionary of the Strange, Curious & Lovely ($9.37)
The Dictionary of the Strange, Curious & Lovely is a dictionary of 3500 of the most beautiful words of the English language. It introduces intriguing English words such as chiliad, chirm, circumcrescent, delphian, petrichor, psithurisim, squillion and tourbillion. This book makes the perfect gift for writers, word lovers, and anyone interested in the etymology of some of the English language's most interesting words.