William Dean Howells | |
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| Born | March 1, 1837 Martinsville, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | May 11, 1920 (aged 83) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Language | English |
| Genre | |
| Literary movement | American Realism |
| Signature | |
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| United States Consul to Venice | |
| In office 1861–1865 | |
| Appointed by | Abraham Lincoln |
| Preceded by | J. J. Sprenger |
William Dean Howells (/ˈhaʊəlz/ HOW-əlz; March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) was an American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". He was particularly known for his tenure as editor of The Atlantic Monthly, as well as for the novels The Rise of Silas Lapham and A Traveler from Altruria, and the Christmas story "Christmas Every Day," which was adapted into a 1996 film of the same name.