– Andreas Gruschke, German writer and sinologist, 57 (born 1960) Richard Murphy, Irish poet, 90 (born 1927) January 31 – Haim Gouri, Israeli poet, 94 (born 1923) February 1 – André Baudry, French philosophy professor and founder of the homophile review Arcadie, 95 (born 1922) Niranjan Bhagat, Indian poet in the English and Gujarati languages (the English being mostly in the style of Gitanjali), 1949 Kumar Suvarna Chandrak recipient, 1953 Narmad Suvarna Chandrak recipient, 1969 Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak recipient, 1998 Premanand Suvarna Chandrak recipient, 1999 Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati language recipient, 2001 Narsinh Mehta Award winner, 91 (born 1926) William Whitehead, Canadian writer and longtime partner of fellow writer Timothy Findley, 86 (born 1931) February 3 – Bill Teale, American educator and literacy advocate, 70 (born 1947) February 5 – Gregor Dorfmeister (pseudonym Manfred Gregor), German novelist (Die Brücke, Town Without Pity), 88 (born 1929) Mathieu Riboulet, French novelist and 2012 Prix Décembre recipient, 57 (born 1960) February 6 – Liliana Bodoc, Argentine fantasy writer, 59 (born 1958) Douglas Botting, English biographer, 83 (born 1934) Jao Tsung-I (饒宗頤), Chinese-born Hong Kong sinologist, calligrapher and historian, 100 (born 1917) James W. Sire, American writer, professor of English literature, philosophy and theology, editor for InterVarsity Press, 84 (born 1933) John Anthony West, American science fiction writer with an interest in Egypt, 85 (born 1932) Michael White, English biographer of C. S. Lewis and others, and mystery fiction writer, 58 (born 1959) February 7 Brahim Akhiat, Moroccan writer, 77 (born c. 1941) John Perry Barlow, American internet activist, writer, and lyricist, 70 February 9 – Alfonso Lacadena, Spanish Mesoamerican epigraphist and academic at Complutense University of Madrid, 53 (born 1964) Edward Pearce, English biographer and playwright, 78 (born 1939) Keith M. Wilson, English historian (date of birth unknown) February 10 – Michiko Ishimure (石牟礼道子), Japanese writer, 90 (born 1927) February 11 – Raymond Vautherin, French-born Italian linguist, patois poet, playwright and translator, 82 (born 1935) February 12 – Bill Crider, American writer of crime, mystery, horror and westerns, 76 (born 1941) Jack Ludwig, Canadian novelist, short story writer, essayist and the basis of the character Valentine Gersbach in Saul Bellow's novel Herzog, 95 (born 1922) Françoise Xenakis, French writer, 87 (born 1930) February 13 – Ernest Hecht , Czechoslovak-born English publisher and founder of Souvenir Press, 88 (born 1929) Victor Milán, American libertarian science fiction writer, 63 (born 1954) February 14 –