Stephen Spender books in order
English poet and man of letters
- Lived
- 1909–1995
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 28
Stephen Spender published 4 novels, 1 short story collection, 9 non-fiction books, 7 poetry collections and 7 other books, beginning with Collected Poems, 1928-1985 (1933). The best-known is World Within World (1951).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Stephen Spender
Start here
World Within World
Stephen Spender's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The God That Failed (1949), with André Gide and Arthur Koestler
D. H. Lawrence: Novelist, Poet, Prophet (1973)
Had I a Hundred Mouths (1984)
The Temple (1988)
Short story collections in order
Great German Short Stories (1960)
Non-fiction in order
The Destructive Element (1935)
World Within World (1951)
The Creative Element (1953)
The Struggle of the Modern (1963)
W.H. Auden (1973)
T. S. Eliot (1976)
China Diary (1982)
Journals, 1939-1983 (1985)
Stephen Spender (1985)
Poetry in order
Collected Poems, 1928-1985 (1933)
Vienna (1934)
Life and the Poet (1942)
The Making of a Poem (1955)
The Generous Days (1969)
The Thirties and After (1978)
Selected Poems Of Stephen Spender (2009)
Other books in order
The Burning Cactus (1936)
Trial of a Judge (1937)
Encounters (1963)
Love-hate Relations (1974)
The New Realism (1977)
Letters to Christopher (1980)
Dolphins (1993)
About Stephen Spender
Sir Stephen Harold Spender was an English poet, novelist and essayist whose work concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle. He was appointed U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1965.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Stephen Spender FAQ
- How many books has Stephen Spender written?
- Stephen Spender published 4 novels, 1 short story collection, 9 non-fiction books, 7 poetry collections and 7 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Stephen Spender's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with World Within World.
- What is Stephen Spender's last book?
- The Temple (1988).
- What is Stephen Spender's most famous book?
- World Within World (1951) is Stephen Spender's most widely read book.
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.