1520 in literature

Events

• unknown dates
• *Scholars at Complutense University, Alcalá de Henares, under the direction of Diego Lopez de Zúñiga, complete the Complutensian Polyglot Bible.
• *Ulrich von Hutten's satirical poem Aufwecker der teutschen Nation is published – his earliest work in German.

  New books

Prose

• Hochstratus Ovans
• Martin Luther
• *To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation
• *On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church
• *On the Freedom of a Christian
• Niccolò Machiavelli – Discourse on Reforming the Government of Florence
• Shin Maha Thilawuntha – Yazawin Kyaw, supplement

  Drama

• John Heywood – Johan Johan The Husband
• Approximate year – Niccolò Machiavelli: Andria

  Poetry

• Robert Copland –
• Terence – Terens in Englysh
• Approximate year
• *John Lydgate – Testament
• *Alexander the Great
• *The Squire of Low Degree

  Births

• March 3 – Matthias Flacius, German Lutheran theologian
• unknown date
• *François Baudouin, French humanist historian
• *Natalis Comes, Italian mythologist, poet and historian
• *Denis Lambin, French classicist
• probable
• *Hernando de Acuña, Spanish poet
• *Giovanni Bona de Boliris, Italian humanist, poet and writer, writing in Latin and Italian
• *Thomas Churchyard, English author and poet
• *Pernette Du Guillet, French poet
• *Jorge de Montemor, Portuguese novelist and poet, writing in Spanish
• *Christophe Plantin, French-born Dutch humanist and printer
• *Madeleine Des Roches, French author, poet and salonnière
• *Alexander Scott, Scottish poet
• *Georg Thym, German teacher, poet and writer

  Deaths

• March 16 – Martin Waldseemüller, German humanist and cartographer
• May 31 – Johannes Aesticampianus, German humanist theologian
• unknown date – William Dunbar, Scottish poet