See also: 1986 in literature, other events of 1987, 1988 in literature, list of years in literature.
Events
- Spycatcher by Peter Wright
Births
Deaths
- February 2 - Alistair MacLean, British thriller writer, heart attack
- February 22 - Andy Warhol, artist, director, writer
- October 31 - Joseph Campbell, author and expert on mythology
Awards
- Joseph Brodsky won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1987.