1591 in literature

Events

• In the spring of the year, a dispute with James Burbage impels the Admiral's Men to leave The Theatre and move to Philip Henslowe's Rose Theatre.
• Summer - Sir Walter Raleigh secretly marries Elizabeth Throckmorton.
• October 4 - John Lyly's Midas is entered in the Stationers' Register.
• November 8 - Publisher Thomas Millington becomes a "freeman" (full member) of the Stationers' Company.

New books

• Andrea Alciato - Emblemata
• Robert Greene - Greene's Farewell to Folly
• John Greenwood - A Breife Refutation of Mr George Giffard, etc.
• Melis Stoke - Rijmkroniek (History of the Netherlands) (written during the 14th century)
• "A. W." - A Book of Cookrye

New drama

• Anonymous - The Troublesome Reign of King John (published)
• John Lyly - Endymion, the Man in the Moon (published)
• Muretus - Julius Caesar (published)
• Robert Wilmot - Tancred and Gismund (published)

Poetry

• James VI of Scotland - Lepanto
• Sir Philip Sidney – Astrophel and Stella (published posthumously)

Births

• March 6 - Tommaso Tamburini, theologian (died 1675)
• August - Robert Herrick, poet (died 1674)
• date unknown
  • Thomas Goffe, dramatist (died 1629)
  • Ivan Bunić Vučić, Ragusan poet (died 1658)

Deaths

• August 23 - Luis Ponce de León, poet and orator (born 1527)
• date unknown
  • Noël du Fail, short story writer (born c. 1520)
  • Johann Fischart, satirist (born c. 1545)
  • Veronica Franco, poet and courtesan (born 1546)