* In the novel Perdido Street Station, by British author China Miéville, engines similar to Babbage's serve as " brains " for the robotic constructs of the city of New Crobuzon.

* Adrian Goldsworthy ( born 1969 ), British historian and author who writes mostly about ancient Roman history

* 1886 – Ruth Manning-Sanders, British author ( d. 1988 )

Helen Beatrix Potter ( 28 July 186622 December 1943 ) was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children ’ s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.

More recently, William D. Rubinstein, Professor of Modern History at Aberystwyth University, Wales, wrote that Conservative politician and pro-Zionist Leo Amery, as Assistant Secretary to the British war cabinet in 1917, was the main author of the Balfour Declaration.

Cyril Northcote Parkinson ( 30 July 1909 – 9 March 1993 ) was a British naval historian and author of some sixty books, the most famous of which was his bestseller Parkinson's Law, which led him to be also considered as an important scholar within the field of public administration.

Colin Kapp ( 1928 – 3 August 2007 ) was a British science fiction author.

Martin Hewitt, created by British author Arthur Morrison in 1894, is perhaps the first example of the modern style of fictional private detective.

* 1892 – Osbert Sitwell, British author ( d. 1969 )

* 1867 – At Tremont Temple in Boston, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.

* 2003 – Alan Davidson, British author ( b. 1924 )

* 1909 – James Riddell, British champion skier and author ( d. 2000 )

During the same year, British author George MacDonald Fraser published Flash for Freedom !, the third novel in the Flashman series that was set partially in Dahomey.

* 1914 – Alan Bullock, British author of the first biography of Hitler written in any language.

After its first release, this book sold far better than any of Butler's other works — perhaps because the British public assumed that the anonymous author was some better-known figure ( the favorite being Lord Lytton, who had published The Coming Race two years previously ).

* 1857 – Robert Baden-Powell, British soldier, author, and Scout movement founder ( d. 1941 )

* 1912 – George Mikes, Hungarian-born British author ( d. 1987 )

Dr. Fu Manchu is a fictional character introduced in a series of novels by British author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century.

* 1929 – Len Deighton, British author

Near its entrance, opposite the new British Library, a contemporary statue of Saint Joan commemorates Shaw as author of that play.

Trent's Last Case is an adaptation of British author E. C. Bentley's 1913 novel of the same name, and had already been adapted to film in England in 1920.

* Thomas Robson, author of The British Herald ( 1830 ).

Other luminaries include Keith Johnstone, the British teacher and writer – author of Impro, who founded the Theatre Machine and whose teachings form the foundation of the popular shortform Theatresports format, Dick Chudnow, founder of ComedySportz which evolved its family-friendly show format from Johnstone's Theatersports, Stan Wells, creator of the " Clap-In " longform style and founder of The Empty Stage Comedy Theatre in Los Angeles, and Bill Johnson, creator / director of The Magic Meathands, who pioneered the concept of " Commun-edy Outreach " by tailoring performances to non-traditional audiences, such as the homeless and foster children.

* 1944 – Jenny Nimmo, British author

* 1836 – John Cheyne ( physician ), British physician, surgeon and author ( b. 1777 )

* 1967 – Helen Chamberlain, British television presenter

She played bit parts in three English-language films, the British comedy Doctor at Sea ( 1955 ) with Dirk Bogarde, Helen of Troy ( 1954 ), in which she was understudy for the title role but appears only as Helen's handmaid, and Act of Love ( 1954 ) with Kirk Douglas.

Well-known currently active British actors and actresses include: Gemma Arterton, Rowan Atkinson, Christian Bale, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kate Beckinsale, Paul Bettany, Orlando Bloom, Emily Blunt, Helena Bonham Carter, Kenneth Branagh, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Craig, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Rupert Everett, Ralph Fiennes, Colin Firth, Michael Gambon, Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Ben Kingsley, Keira Knightley, Hugh Laurie, Jude Law, James McAvoy, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, Carey Mulligan, Thandie Newton, Bill Nighy, Gary Oldman, Clive Owen, Robert Pattinson, Daniel Radcliffe, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, Alan Rickman, Tim Roth, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jason Statham, Patrick Stewart, Alex Pettyfer, Gerard Butler, Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, Rachel Weisz, Kate Winslet, Tom Hiddleston, Ray Winstone and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

* 1951 – Helen Worth, British actress

* 1966 – Helen Fospero, British television presenter and newsreader

** Helen Oyeyemi, British novelist

* July 26 – Dame Helen Mirren, British actress

To secure the British copyright, there was a perfunctory performance the afternoon before the New York premiere, at the Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, Devon, organised by Helen Lenoir.

Queen Alexandra has been portrayed on British television by Deborah Grant and Helen Ryan in Edward the Seventh, Ann Firbank in Lillie, Maggie Smith in All the King's Men, and Bibi Andersson in The Lost Prince.

* British — Ashton, Helen: Pierrot in Town ( 1913 ); Barrington, Pamela: White Pierrot ( 1932 ); Callaghan, Stella: " Pierrot and the Black Cat " ( 1921 ), Pierrot of the World ( 1923 ); Deakin, Dorothea: The Poet and the Pierrot ( 1905 ); Herring, Paul: The Pierrots on the Pier: A Holiday Entertainment ( 1914 ); Priestley, J. B .: The Good Companions ( 1929 ; plot follows fortunes of a Pierrot troupe, The Dinky Doos ; has had many adaptations, for stage, screen, TV, and radio ).

* British — Gaiman, Neil ( has lived in U. S. A. since 1992 ): " Harlequin Valentine " ( 1999 ), Harlequin Valentine ( 2001 ; graphic novel, illustrated by John Bolton ); Greenland, Colin: " A Passion for Lord Pierrot " ( 1990 ); Moorcock, Michael: The English Assassin and The Condition of Muzak ( 1972, 1977 ; hero Jerry Cornelius morphs with increasing frequency into role of Pierrot ), " Feu Pierrot " ( 1978 ); Stevenson, Helen: Pierrot Lunaire ( 1995 ).

The British writer Helen Stevenson published a Chinese-box-like postmodern meditation on Giraud's poems in her 1995 novel Pierrot Lunaire.

In 1991, British chemist Helen Sharman was selected from a pool of 13, 000 applicants to be the first Briton in space.

Her aunt Helen Carolin Franklin was married to Norman de Mattos Bentwich, who was the Attorney General in the British Mandate of Palestine.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex ( Sophie Helen ; née Rhys-Jones ; born 20 January 1965 ), is the wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and member of the British Royal Family.

His creation of a laboratory of experimental psychology at Toronto ( which he claimed was the first in the British Empire ) coincided with the birth of his daughters Helen ( 1889 ) and Elizabeth ( 1891 ) which inspired the quantitative and experimental research on infant development that was to make such a vivid impression on Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg through Baldwin's " Mental Development in the Child and the Race.

* Helen Johnson plays the rebec, and its close relative the violetta, in the British early music group Cancionero.

Black belonged to a generation of British female singers which included Dusty Springfield, Helen Shapiro, Petula Clark, Sandie Shaw and Lulu.

Helen Chadwick ( 18 May 1953 – 15 March 1996 ) was a British conceptual artist.

* Helen Chadwick ( British Installation Artist, 1953 – 1996 )

* Helen Chadwick ( British Council )

Won Olympic gold at London 2012 in the woman's pair, simultaneously becoming the First Great British Gold medallist at London 2012 and the first Great British Woman's rowing gold medallist with rowing partner Helen Glover.

Her aunt, Helen Suzman, was appointed Honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1989 for her anti-apartheid activism.