1542 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1542.

Events

 * The diary begun by Luca Landucci is completed by an unknown hand.
 * The earliest written example of the Romani language appears.

Prose

 * Paul Fagius – Liber Fidei seu Veritatis
 * Edward Hall – The Union of the Two Noble and Illustrate Famelies of Lancastre & Yorke

Poetry

 * See 1542 in poetry

Births

 * December – Catherine Des Roches, French poet and writer (died 1587)
 * unknown date – John of the Cross (Juan de Yepes y Álvarez), Castilian poet and friar (died 1591)

Deaths

 * January 10 – Gerard Geldenhouwer, Dutch historian (born 1482)
 * June 14 – Christoph von Scheurl, German humanist writer (born 1481)
 * October 11 – Sir Thomas Wyatt, English poet (born 1503)
 * unknown date – Lucas Fernández, Spanish dramatist and musician, who wrote in the Leonese language (born c. 1474)