Stephen King, 600 other U.S. authors sign petition against Donald Trump

Hundreds of American authors, including Stephen King, Colm Tóibín, Geraldine Brooks and Lydia Davis have signed a petition opposing "unequivocally, the candidacy of Donald J Trump for the presidency of the United States”.

"As writers, we are particularly aware of the many ways that language can be abused in the name of power," the petition reads. "American history, despite periods of nativism and bigotry, has from the first been a grand experiment in bringing people of different backgrounds together, not pitting them against one another."

"The rise of a political candidate who deliberately appeals to the basest and most violent elements in society, who encourages aggression among his followers, shouts down opponents, intimidates dissenters, and denigrates women and minorities, demands, from each of us, an immediate and forceful response."

The list of signatories includes more than 10 Pulitzer Prize winners, It's also growing fast, with more than 150 names being added to the list since it was first published online Tuesday morning. Mashable reported.

A Twitter account called Writers On Trump has been set up by the letter's creators, novelists Andrew Altschul and Mark Slouka.

There's also an online petition that anyone can sign; it currently boasts more than 3,000 signatures.

READ: Author of Harry Potter defends Donald Trump's right to be 'offensive and bigoted'