Meanings of literary contemporaries in English

That was the question I recently posed to friends and literary contemporaries.

Emerson had an advantage over his literary contemporaries in the vigorous life he lived.

Apparently his eminent literary contemporaries did not realize that a celebrated poet had passed from their midst.

He boasts on the stage of being more in the enjoyment of the favour of the great ones than any of his literary contemporaries.

Poetry: Kevin Kiely, like quite a few of his literary contemporaries, has a reputation as strong in Europe and the US as it is here.

But who of his literary contemporaries ever applied to him for aid or counsel that did not experience the most prompt, generous, and effectual assistance?