1718 in literature

This article presents lists of the literary events and publications in 1718.

Events

November 1 – Lady Mary Wortley Montagu writes the last of her Turkish Letters, addressed to Alexander Pope.
November 18 – Voltaire's first play, Oedipus, premières at the Comédie-Française in Paris. This is his first use of the pseudonym. He has been released from the Bastille this year, while Marguerite De Launay, Baronne Staal, begins a two-year sentence.
The Freethinker (newspaper) is founded by Ambrose Philips and Hugh Boulter.
Laurence Eusden becomes Poet Laureate of Great Britain.
Ludvig Holberg becomes a professor at the University of Copenhagen.

Nicholas Amhurst – Protestant Popery; or, The Convocation (part of the Bangorian Controversy)
Daniel Defoe (attr.) – A Vindication of the Press
Charles Gildon – The Complete Art of Poetry
Mary Hearne – The Lover's Week
Simon Ockley – The History of the Saracens, volume 2
Ambrose Philips – The Free-Thinker (periodical)
Allan Ramsay -Christ's Kirk on the Green (revised version)
John Ray – Philosophical Letters
John Strype – The Life and Acts of John Witgift
John Toland – Nazarenus, or Jewish, Gentile and Mahometan Christianity
John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester – Remains of the Earl of Rochester
José de Léón y Mansilla – Soledad tercera

February 18
- Søren Abildgaard, Danish naturalist, author and artist (died 1791)
- Robert Henry, Scottish historian (died 1790)
April 7 – Hugh Blair, Scottish rhetorician (died 1800)
May 16 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian philosopher (died 1799
July 18 – Saverio Bettinelli, Italian Jesuit writer (died 1808)