| 100% | RALPHELLISON | 12 | Author of the Harlem-set novel "Invisible Man": 2 wds. |
| 80% | TONIMORRISON | 12 | Author of the Harlem-set novel "Jazz": 2 wds. |
| 78% | JAMESBALDWIN | 12 | Author of the Harlem-set novel "If Beale Street Could Talk": 2 wds. |
| 64% | CORMACMCCARTHY | 14 | Author of the 2005 novel "No Country for Old Men," which was made into a Best Picture-winning movie: 2 wds. |
| 62% | DANBROWN | 8 | Author of the novel "Inferno": 2 wds. |
| 59% | LIANEMORIARTY | 13 | Author of the novels "Nine Perfect Strangers" and 47-Across: 2 wds. |
| 59% | JOHNUPDIKE | 10 | Author of the Rabbit series who wrote the 1988 novel "S.": 2 wds. |
| 59% | JOSEPHHELLER | 12 | Author of the classic 1961 World War II novel "Catch-22": 2 wds. |
| 59% | KURTVONNEGUT | 12 | Author of the classic 1969 World War II novel "Slaughterhouse-Five": 2 wds. |
| 58% | DANBROWN | 8 | "Colorful" author of the novel "The Da Vinci Code": 2 wds. |
| 58% | GEORGEORWELL | 12 | Author of the classic dystopian novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four": 2 wds. |
| 58% | ALDOUSHUXLEY | 12 | Author of the classic dystopian novel "Brave New World": 2 wds. |
| 58% | SUEGRAFTON | 10 | Author of the Kinsey Millhone mysteries who wrote the 2015 novel "X": 2 wds. |
| 58% | RALPHELLISON | 12 | African-American author of "Invisible Man," winner of the 1953 National Book Award for Fiction: 2 wds. |
| 57% | IANMCEWAN | 9 | British author of the novel upon which 17-Across is based: 2 wds. |
| 57% | NORMANMAILER | 12 | Author of the classic 1948 World War II novel "The Naked and the Dead": 2 wds. |
| 57% | MARGARETATWOOD | 14 | Author of the dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale" and its sequel, "The Testaments": 2 wds. |
| 56% | ALICEWALKER | 11 | Author of the 1982 novel "The Color Purple," which was made into a 1985 movie: 2 wds. |
| 56% | SUZANNECOLLINS | 14 | Author of the dystopian novel "The Hunger Games" and its sequels, "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay": 2 wds. |
| 56% | SOPHIEKINSELLA | 14 | Author of the "Shopaholic" novels who also wrote stand-alone novels as Madeleine Wickham: 2 wds. |
| 56% | LIANEMORIARTY | 13 | Author of the novel "Big Little Lies" which was adapted into an Emmy-winning TV series: 2 wds. |
| 56% | DENNISLEHANE | 12 | Author of the 2001 novel "Mystic River" that was made into a 2003 Sean Penn film: 2 wds. |
| 56% | JOANNEROWLING | 13 | Author of the "Harry Potter" series who has written novels under the pen name Robert Galbraith: 2 wds. |
| 56% | SARAPARETSKY | 12 | Author of "Brush Back," the latest of 17 novels featuring 38-Across: 2 wds. |
| 55% | JACKLONDON | 10 | Author of the 1903 novel, "The Call of the Wild," on which the 2020 movie is based: 2 wds. |
| 55% | ANGIETHOMAS | 11 | Author of the young adult novels 30-Across and the upcoming "On the Come Up": 2 wds. |
| 54% | EMMATHOMPSON | 12 | Oscar-winning actress who plays P.L. Travers, author of the novel "Mary Poppins," in 32-Across: 2 wds. |
| 53% | HGWELLS | 7 | Author of The Invisible Man |
| 53% | RICHARDRUSSO | 12 | Author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Empire Falls" and 17-Across (2 wds.) |
| 52% | LOISLOWRY | 9 | Author of the children's book "The Giver": 2 wds. |