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The BBC's 100 Most Inspiring Novels

In 2019, the BBC published a list of novels selected by a panel of six writers and critics, who had been asked to choose 100 English language novels "that have had an impact on their lives". The resulting list of "100 novels that shaped our world", called the "100 'most inspiring' novels" by BBC News, was published by the BBC to kick off a year of celebrating literature.
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1984 (George Orwell)
1984
1
George Orwell
American Tabloid (James Ellroy)
American Tabloid
2
James Ellroy
American War (Omar El Akkad)
American War
3
Omar El Akkad
Astonishing the Gods (Ben Okri)
Astonishing the Gods
4
Ben Okri
Ballet Shoes (Noel Streatfeild)
Ballet Shoes
5
Noel Streatfeild
Bartleby the Scrivener (Herman Melville)
Bartleby the Scrivener
6
Herman Melville
The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)
The Bell Jar
7
Sylvia Plath
Beloved (Toni Morrison)
Beloved
8
Toni Morrison
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler)
The Big Sleep
9
Raymond Chandler
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
Brave New World
10
Aldous Huxley
Bridget Jones's Diary (Helen Fielding)
Bridget Jones's Diary
11
Helen Fielding
Cannery Row (John Steinbeck, 1945)
Cannery Row
12
John Steinbeck, 1945
The Children of Men (P.D. James)
The Children of Men
13
P.D. James
The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis)
The Chronicles of Narnia
14
C.S. Lewis
City of Bohane (Kevin Barry)
City of Bohane
15
Kevin Barry
Cloudstreet (1991) (Tim Winton)
Cloudstreet (1991)
16
Tim Winton
Cold Comfort Farm (Stella Gibbons)
Cold Comfort Farm
17
Stella Gibbons
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
The Color Purple
18
Alice Walker
A Confederacy of Dunces (John Kennedy Toole)
A Confederacy of Dunces
19
John Kennedy Toole
The Country Girls (Edna O'Brien)
The Country Girls
20
Edna O'Brien
Days Without End (Sebastian Barry)
Days Without End
21
Sebastian Barry
The Discworld Series (Terry Pratchett)
The Discworld Series
22
Terry Pratchett
Disgrace (J. M. Coetzee)
Disgrace
23
J. M. Coetzee
Dune (Frank Herbert)
Dune
24
Frank Herbert
The Earthsea Cycle (Ursula K. Le Guin)
The Earthsea Cycle
25
Ursula K. Le Guin
Emily of New Moon (L.M. Montgomery)
Emily of New Moon
26
L.M. Montgomery
Eye of the Needle (Ken Follett)
Eye of the Needle
27
Ken Follett
The Far Pavillions (M M Kaye)
The Far Pavillions
28
M M Kaye
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Hemingway, Ernest)
For Whom the Bell Tolls
29
Hemingway, Ernest
Forever... (Judy Blume)
Forever...
30
Judy Blume
The Forty Rules of Love (Elif Shafak)
The Forty Rules of Love
31
Elif Shafak
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
Frankenstein
32
Mary Shelley
Fugitive Pieces (Anne Michaels)
Fugitive Pieces
33
Anne Michaels
A Game of Thrones (George R.R. Martin)
A Game of Thrones
34
George R.R. Martin
Gilead (Marilynne Robinson)
Gilead
35
Marilynne Robinson
Giovanni's Room (James Baldwin)
Giovanni's Room
36
James Baldwin
The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy)
The God of Small Things
37
Arundhati Roy
Golden Child (Claire Adam)
Golden Child
38
Claire Adam
Habibi (Craig Thompson)
Habibi
39
Craig Thompson
Half of a Yellow Sun (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
Half of a Yellow Sun
40
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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