– footballer for Gillingham Dave Martin (born 1985) – footballer for Crystal Palace Tom Varndell (born 1985) – rugby union footballer for Leicester Tigers and England Joe Denly (born 1986) – cricketer for Kent and England Under–19s Sammy Moore (born 1987) – footballer for Ipswich Town Zack Sabre Jr (born 1987) – professional wrestler Chris Smalling (born 1989) – footballer with Manchester United F.C. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs (born 1991) – Formula BMW racing driver Writers Edwin Arnold (1832–1904) – poet and journalist Edwin Lester Arnold (1857–1935) – author Alfred Austin (1835–1913) – Poet Laureate Enid Bagnold (1889–1981) – author and playwright Rachel Beer (1858–1927) – editor of The Observer and The Sunday Times newspapers Aphra Behn (1640–1689) – dramatist among earliest professional female writers Robert Blatchford (1851–1943) – socialist author Daniel Blythe (born 1969) – author Robert Bridges (1844–1930) – Poet Laureate Michael Busselle (1935–2006) – writer and photographer Elizabeth Carter (1717–1806) – linguist Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400) – diplomat and author of The Canterbury Tales Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) – novelist Caroline Cornwallis (1786–1858) Arthur Shearly Cripps (1869–1952) – poet, writer and Anglican priest Rana Dasgupta (born 1971) – writer Charles Dickens (1812–1870) – foremost Victorian novelist Sarah Dixon (1671/2 – 1765) – poet Keith Douglas (1920–1944) – poet David Edwards (born 1962) – political journalist Ernest Elmore (1901–1957) – writer of fantasy and (as John Bude) crime novels U. A. Fanthorpe (1929–2009) – poet and recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1661–1720) – poet Robert Fisk (1946–2020) – journalist Phineas Fletcher (1582–1650) – poet Frederick Forsyth (born 1938) – author of thriller novels such as The Day of the Jackal and The Odessa File Caroline Fry (1787–1846) – Christian writer John Fuller (born 1937) – poet and author John Gillespie Magee, Jr. (1922–1943) – Air Force pilot and poet John Gower (c. 1330–1408) – poet Thom Gunn (1929–2004) – Anglo-American poet Christopher Harte (born 1947) - sports writer and bibliographer William Hazlitt (1778–1830) – essayist and literary critic Thomas Head Raddall (1903–1994) – historical fiction writer David Hewson (born 1953) – crime and mystery novelist Robert Holdstock (born 1948) – fantasy author M. R. James (1862–1936) – mediaeval scholar and author Lionel Johnson (1867–1902) – poet, essayist and critic Sidney Keyes (1922–1943) – war poet Winifred Mary Letts (1882–1972) – novelist and poet Richard Lovelace (1618–1659) – poet and Royalist John Lyly (c.