literary scholar; person of letters
Refers to someone who studies literature academically or is deeply engaged in literary culture, often with a scholarly or intellectual connotation.
He is a renowned literary scholar, known for his research on Japanese literature.
A broader, more general sense for someone who writes literature or is a professional writer, though 作家 is more common for a creative writer.
That writer has published numerous novels.
He is known as a literary figure of the Meiji era.
She studied literature at university and eventually became a literary scholar.
The students are studying the works of modern literary figures.