1589 in literature

This article presents lists of the literary events and publications in 1589.

• January – The Children of Paul's perform twice at the English royal court during the first two weeks of the year.
• March – Marprelate Controversy: Bishop Thomas Cooper's Admonition prompts Marprelate's response in the form of a tract entitled Hay any Worke for Cooper.
• July – John Penry's printing press produces two tracts purporting to be by sons of Martin Marprelate, but probably by Martin himself: Theses Martinianae by "Martin Junior", and The Just Censure of Martin Junior by "Martin Senior".
• 1588–1589 – This is the earliest probable date for the composition of Christopher Marlowe's The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus and its first performance, in London.

• Jane Anger – Jane Anger her protection for women, to defend them against the scandalous reportes of a late surfeiting lover, and all other like venerians that complaine so to bee overcloyed with women's kindnesse^[1]
• Thoinot Arbeau – Orchésographie
• Giovanni Botero – Della ragione di Stato (The Reason of State)
• Robert Greene – Menaphon
• Richard Hakluyt – The Principal Navigations, Voiages, Traffiques and Discoueries of the English Nation, vol. 1
• John Lyly (attr.) – Pappe with an Hatchet (Part of the Marprelate Controversy)
• George Puttenham (probable author) – The Arte of English Poesie
• Lorenzo Scupoli – Il combattimento spirituale
• Water Margin (水浒传, Shui Hu Zhuan; earliest known complete printed edition)^[2]

• Girolamo Bargagli – La Pellegrina (The Pilgrim Woman)
• Robert Greene – Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay
• Thomas Kyd? – Hamlet (the "Ur-Hamlet", latest date)
• Christopher Marlowe – The Jew of Malta (probably written 1589–90)
• George Peele? – The Troublesome Reign of King John (approximate year)
• The Rare Triumphs of Love and Fortune (anonymous; published)

• Anne Dowriche (AD) – The French Historie
• Christopher Marlowe – The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

• March 3 – Gisbertus Voetius, Dutch Calvinist theologian (died 1676)
• Unknown dates
  • Heinrich Petraeus, German physician and writer (died 1620)
  • Antonio de León Pinelo, Peru-born Spanish historian (died c. 1675)

• March 22 – Lodovico Guicciardini, Italian merchant and writer (born 1521)
• March 23 – Marcin Kromer, Polish historian (born 1512)
• July 1 – Christophe Plantin, French-born Dutch printer (born c. 1520)
• August 31 – Jurij Dalmatin, Slovenian writer and translator (born c. 1547)
• September 16 – Michael Baius, Belgian theologian (born 1513)
• September 19 – Jean-Antoine de Baïf, French poet (born 1532)
• October 12 – Samuel de Medina, Talmudist and author from Thessaloniki (born 1505)
• October 15 – Jacopo Zabarella, Italian philosopher (born 1532)
• Unknown date – Thomas Sampson, English theologian and translator (born c. 1517)