1516 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1516.

Events

 * March 1 – Desiderius Erasmus publishes a new Greek translation of the New Testament, Novum Instrumentum omne, in Basel. This year Erasmus also writes The Education of a Christian Prince although it is not published until 1532.
 * c. December – Thomas More's Utopia, combining fiction and political philosophy and completed this year, is published in Leuven in Latin.
 * unknown dates
 * Samuel Nedivot's the 14th century Hebrew Sefer Abudirham in Fez is the first book printed in Africa.
 * Paolo Ricci translates the 13th century Kabbalistic work Sha'are Orah by Joseph ben Abraham Gikatilla into Latin, as Portae Lucis.

Prose

 * Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
 * Dialogus de homine (published in Casale)
 * De triplici ratione cognoscendi Deum
 * Bartolomé de las Casas – Memorial de Remedios para las Indias
 * Erasmus – Novum Instrumentum omne
 * Robert Fabyan (anonymous; died c. 1512) – The New Chronicles of England and France (published by Richard Pynson in London)
 * Marsilio Ficino – De triplici vita
 * Thomas More – Utopia
 * Andre Pauernfeindt – Ergründung der ritterlichen kunst des fechtens durch freyfechter czu Vienn (Foundation of the knightly art of combat by the fencing guild of Vienna)

Poetry

 * Ludovico Ariosto – Orlando Furioso (first version, April)
 * Baptista Mantuanus (published in France)
 * Agellaria
 * De sacris diebus (published in Lyon)

Births

 * March 26 – Conrad Ges(s)ner, Swiss naturalist, bibliographer and poet (died 1565)
 * April 23 – Georg Fabricius, Saxon historian, classical archaeologist and epigrapher and poet (died 1571)
 * December 21 – Giuseppe Leggiadri Gallani, Parmese-born poet and dramatist (died c. 1590)

Deaths

 * March 22 – Baptista Mantuanus, Mantuan Carmelite reformer, humanist and Latin poet (born 1447)
 * December 13 – Johannes Trithemius, German lexicographer and chronicler (born 1462)