25 Famous Female Authors Who Transformed Literature

Get to know the famous female authors who left their mark on the literary landscape. From classics to contemporary masterpieces, discover their stories!

Famous female authors are central to breaking conventions. By offering the female perspective, they reshaped the literary world to be more diverse and inclusive.

Did you know that there are more female writers in America? It’s not a wide gap. But to make up 50.45% of the industry that did not recognize women authors until the 1840s — isn’t that a win?

This progress was not easy, but it brought us the best female authors we celebrate today. In her 1981 speech, renowned writer Toni Morrison said: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” And write women did — there is no literary genre that doesn’t have a female writer.

Read on to discover the brave women who broke literary barriers!

Check out the debut novels nominated for the 2023 Women’s Prize For Fiction!

The Best Female Authors of All Time

1. Charlotte Brontë, 1816 – 1855

Born in Thornton, West Riding, Yorkshire, Charlotte Brontë started creating poetry at age 13. Her 1847 novel, Jane Eyre, published under the pen name Currer Bell, is her most known work. The first-person narrative fiction tells the story of a heroine who undergoes spiritual and moral growth. Despite societal expectations and challenges, she remains humble but strong-willed, making her a likable, relatable protagonist. Its feminist themes and Gothic elements make Jane Eyre an English literature classic, with adaptations in various mediums such as films, radio, and theater.

Charlotte Brontë’s subsequent novels, Shirley and Villette, also center around strong female characters. Her sharp observations of women’s struggles and realistic depiction of the Victorian era cement Charlotte Brontë as a pioneer in women’s literature.

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”

Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

2. Jane Austen, 1775 – 1817

Jane Austen initially published her novels under the anonymous author By a Lady. Today, she’s one of the most prominent literary figures, best remembered for her romance novels, particularly Pride and Prejudice. It has a stubborn heroine with a strong sense of identity, memorable supporting characters, and an easy-to-follow plot structure.

Free indirect discourse — a literary style that combines third-person and first-person narration — is also credited to Austen. It gives readers access to the characters’ internal musings, fostering intimacy and creating emotional bonds.

Other notable Austen novels criticizing the then social hierarchy are Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. Austen’s literary portfolio has inspired many adaptations.

“But for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.”

Jane Austen

3. Louisa May Alcott, 1832 – 1888

Novelist and short story writer Louisa May Alcott has always been dedicated to literature, starting with poetry at the age of eight. However, what cemented her as a distinguished literary and feminist writer is her children’s coming-of-age book, Little Women.

Drawing from her experiences, Little Women recounts a middle-class family’s life during the Civil War. In particular, it focuses on the family’s four sisters and their transition from little girls to women. Her prose is complex but balanced and digestible, making her work accessible to all age groups.

A sequel to Little Women was published in 1871, titled Little Men. Although published more than 150 years ago, the list of Little Women adaptations only continues to grow.

“I like good strong words that mean something…”

Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

4. Mary Wollstonecraft, 1759 – 1797

Mary Wollstonecraft was a passionate British advocate for women’s equality. As such, most of her writings revolve around granting women economic independence through proper education.

Wollstonecraft demonstrated women’s capacity through her writings. Her arguments in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, for instance, were organized and detailed. Not only to persuade readers but primarily for them to take her seriously, regardless of gender.

Many ideas in Western feminist theory echo that of Wollstonecraft, so she’s regarded as the “Mother of First-Wave Feminism.” Her other works include Thoughts on the Education of Daughters and Mary, A Fiction.

Wollstonecraft had two daughters: Fanny Imlay and Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.

“All the sacred rights of humanity are violated by insisting on blind obedience.”

Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

5. Virginia Woolf, 1882 – 1941

Virginia Woolf often experimented with her writing, making her a Modernist author. Modernists defied the rules of 19th-century Realism and pursued new forms of writing.

Woolf notoriously used stream-of-consciousness, a narrative style that portrays a character’s thought process in a lifelike, non-linear manner. She first applied this technique in her 1925 novel, Mrs. Dalloway. It narrates a day in the life of a 51-year-old upper-class woman as she prepares to host a party. During her preparations, she reminisces, reflects, regrets. Mrs. Dalloway is one of the most influential Modernist novels today. It has been adapted into a 1997 film and a 2011 play, Septimus and Clarissa.

The English author also wrote about society’s unfair treatment of women. In A Room of One’s Own, Woolf underlined the importance of women’s independence and privacy in curating excellent literature. In To the Lighthouse, she critiques traditional gender roles and expectations.

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”

Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

6. Elizabeth Strout, 1956 –

On her website, Elizabeth Strout shares that she has always considered herself a writer. In 1998, she finally released her first novel, Amy and Isabelle. It’s a domestic fiction about a single mother and her estranged daughter, who, unbeknownst to her, was being groomed by her teacher. It won many awards, including the LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, and was turned into a 2001 drama film, Amy & Isabelle.

Strout’s writing is polished, modest, and emphatic. One of her literary feats is earning the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction with her book Olive Kitteridge. It comprises 13 short stories about ordinary people living ordinary lives. Each can be read as a standalone, with various themes offering a snapshot of human existence. In 2014, it became a TV mini-series.

“I don’t think there was a particular book that made me want to write. They all did. I always wanted to write.”

Elizabeth Strout

7. Emily Brontë, 1818 – 1848

With little record of her life and only a single novel to examine, Emily Brontë remains a mystery.

Emily Brontë (aka Ellis Bell) has always kept her heart at home, often feeling homesick and returning to Haworth, Yorkshire, where she would eventually die of consumption (tuberculosis). Unsurprisingly, her only novel, Wuthering Heights, was set in the Yorkshire moorlands. “Wuthering” is a Yorkshire term for “stormy weather.” Over the centuries, the novel inspired many film, TV, opera, radio, and even graphic novel adaptations.

Wuthering Heights is now an English literary classic. It highlights Emily Brontë’s modern prose, combining Gothic elements and Romanticism — an uncommon literary style in Victorian times where most writers used Realism. Her novel was risky for that era, filled with passionate dialogue and romantic imagery, pulling readers into the intense affair between the characters.

“… take my books away, and I should be desperate!”

Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

8. Margaret Atwood, 1939 –

Image Caption: Margaret Atwood started writing at age five.

In a 2017 interview, Margaret Atwood shared, “My interest was in women of all kinds — and they are of all kinds.“ True to her words, most of Atwood’s works concern women and how they interact — with themselves, others, and the world around them.

Her most prominent work is the dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Though published almost four decades ago, the book remains relevant. Atwood’s use of real-world events, like Romania’s Decree 770 (where women must have four babies) and the People of Hope cult (which brainwashed women into subservience), in creating the novel underscores just how close it is to reality. The Handmaid’s Tale speaks of every woman’s fear of losing agency and only being valued by their ability to bear children. It inspired many adaptations, such as the 2017 TV series where Atwood made a cameo.

The Canadian author values individualistic writing and often uses flashbacks to present multidimensional characters. She has written over 40 books, with other remarkable works like The Circle Game and The Blind Assassin.

“I read for pleasure and that is the moment I learn the most.”

Margaret Atwood

9. George Eliot, 1819 – 1880

Like many female novelists in the Victorian era, Mary Ann Evans adopted a male pseudonym so she could be taken seriously as a writer. However, it was also partly to hide her identity. Her lifestyle choices (such as cohabitating with a separated but still legally married George Lewes) made her a social outcast.

After creating three well-received short stories under the pen name “George Eliot,” she published her first novel, Adam Bede. It’s a story inspired by the real murder trial of Mary Voce, who killed her own baby. The novel put George Eliot in the literary spotlight, prompting Evans to reveal herself.

Her masterpiece is the realist novel Middlemarch, originally divided into eight books. It’s an extensive read, with many characters and storylines that offered Evans room to comment on various 19th-century social issues. Her writing highlights the character’s complex emotional and intellectual depth, urging the use of psychological analysis in literature. It became a mini-series in 1994.

“It is always fatal to have music or poetry interrupted.”

George Eliot, Middlemarch

10. Alice Walker, 1944 –

A childhood accident left Alice Walker blind in one eye. It made her reclusive but also pushed her to read and write poetry. Although she grew up poor, Walker didn’t give up on education. She endured the same struggles as part of the African American community, so her themes often focus on the community’s oppression. Her writing is persuasive and calls for readers’ involvement.

Walker also became an active participant in the civil rights movement. Her poetry (Once, Revolutionary Petunias) and novels (The Temple of My Familiar, Possessing the Secret of Joy) highlight Black feminism.

The self-proclaimed “womanist” is best known for her novel, The Color Purple. The book set her as the first African American woman to take home the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It follows the plight of a 14-year-old girl as she navigates a world of abuse and patriarchy. It was adapted into a 2023 musical film.

“If art doesn’t make us better, then what on earth is it for.”

Alice Walker

11. J.K. Rowling, 1965 –

Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) had the front row seats in experiencing the magic created by British author J.K. Rowling through the Harry Potter series. Almost 30 years later, the power of the Wizarding World still lingers in pop culture. Its eight-movie adaptation only made it more popular.

The novel series ran from 1997 to 2007, earning Rowling a loyal fanbase. It took Rowling five years to write the franchise’s first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Her straightforward lexicon, simple sentence structure, and detailed (but never confusing) narration made the series an easy and highly entertaining read.

After finishing Harry Potter, Rowling moved on to books with more adult themes, such as The Casual Vacancy (adapted into a drama mini-series) and the crime fiction series Cormoran Strike, under the pen name Robert Galbraith (adapted into a TV series C.B. Strike).

“Books are like mirrors: if a fool looks in, you cannot expect a genius to look out.”

J.K. Rowling

12. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 1977 –

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was fortunate to grow up in an educated family in Southeastern Nigeria. She was a bookworm, but it wasn’t until she read Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart that she realized books could also be about someone like her. Things Fall Apart centers around the colonization of the Igbo people and their culture.

Adichie later accepted a scholarship and moved to America. In 2003, she published her award-winning first novel, Purple Hibiscus. It’s a tale of a girl in post-colonial Nigeria. Although the book dives into serious issues of history, religion, and Nigerian politics, it’s ultimately about hope and freedom.

Her prose is to the point, with Igbo expressions to showcase authenticity. She’s also an excellent author of multiple perspectives, demonstrated in her second book, Half of a Yellow Sun, where she offers five points of view. The novel is one of the most significant fiction of the Nigerian Civil War. Her other notable works are Americanah and The Thing Around Your Neck.

“I want to make it valid, to dream about books and writing.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

13. Harper Lee, 1926 – 2016

Like the settings of her widely acknowledged 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee grew up in a small town in Alabama. The protagonist’s father — the lawyer Atticus Finch — was also modeled after Lee’s father.

Lee had already penned many short stories and essays before dedicating her time to creating a novel. To Kill a Mockingbird initially received mixed reviews. Some found Lee’s depiction of an innocent mind’s realization of critical social issues admirable. Others found her narrative dogmatic. Indeed, the book highlights moral themes since it discusses prejudice, courage, and evil.

Since the novel’s events are seen through a child’s eyes, Lee’s writing is informal but realistic and nuanced. She won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, with a 1962 movie adaptation furthering the novel’s reach. The only other book Lee published was Go Set a Watchman.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

14. Maya Angelou, 1928 – 2014

When she was eight, Maya Angelou gave up her voice, refusing to speak for almost five years. She was sexually assaulted and later testified against the man. He was convicted, released, and then found beaten to death. All little Angelou could think about was that her tongue — she — caused a man’s death.

Angelou shares more of her early childhood in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her first memoir and debut book. The autobiography was suggested to her by fellow Harlem Writers Guild (the oldest African American writers’ organization) member, James Baldwin. By then, she had already accumulated a colorful array of experiences — she was a singer, dancer, and trouper.

The novel, sporting conversational and straightforward writing, was meant to be a response to the abuse she endured. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings became an instant success. It earned awards and stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for two years.

Angelou also published several poems. One of her most notable poetry collections is the Pulitzer Prize-nominated work Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie.

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”

Maya Angelou

15. Zadie Smith, 1975 –

Zadie Smith’s literary career started with three things: An incomplete manuscript, a two-book deal, and a quarter million advance payment. This stunt to show faith in her writing came with high expectations. In 2000, her first book, White Teeth, became a classic international bestseller and won many accolades. The 480-page book follows three generations of London immigrant families. It features many subplots, each rich with timeless themes, such as cultural identity, assimilation, and race and ethnicity. In 2002, it was adapted into a mini-series.

Though young, Smith’s writing already captivated readers and critics alike. The New Republic even included her among those who spearheaded the new literary genre “hysterical realism” — fiction with elements of Realism wrapped in elaborate, even absurd prose.

Smith’s subsequent works proved she isn’t a one-shot wonder. Her On Beauty won the Orange Prize for Fiction, and NW was a Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction nominee.

“The very reason I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life.”

Zadie Smith

16. Agatha Christie, 1890 – 1976

One of the most recognizable women writers in the detective fiction genre is Agatha Christie. She wrote 66 detective novels and is the world’s bestselling fiction writer.

A sudden bet from her sister encouraged the Queen of Crime to pen her first detective fiction. In October 1920, she published The Mysterious Affair at Styles, where she introduced the charming Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Another iconic character, the amateur detective but highly skilled Miss Marple, first appeared in The Murder at the Vicarage.

She draws readers in with sharp dialogues, fast-paced narration, and clever plot twists. Her skills in misdirecting the audience on where the story goes continue to astound many. Christie’s literary prowess makes her one of the best in the genre, even after her passing.

“Intuition is like reading a word without having to spell it out. A child can’t do that because it has had so little experience. A grown-up person knows the word because they’ve seen it often before.”

Agatha Christie, Murder at the Vicarage

17. Anne Brontë, 1820 – 1849

Anne Brontë was the youngest of the Brontë siblings and an often overlooked member of the Brontë Sisters. Although she was an excellent writer in her own right, Anne Brontë refused to romanticize violent men. Instead, her novels focus on “unpalatable” realities most readers would rather forget when reading fiction.

Anne Brontë’s writing is sharp, bold, realistic — a stark contrast to her sisters’ romantic narrations. Her first novel, Agnes Grey, is a fictionalized record of her real-life experiences as a governess. It’s a peek at the horrors Victorian women had to suffer, but it also contains wits and humor echoing that of Jane Austen. A famous Irish novelist, George Moore, once remarked: “If Anne Brontë had lived ten years longer, she would have taken a place beside Jane Austen, perhaps even a higher place.“

Her second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell, tells the story of a wife hiding from her abusive, alcoholic husband. Anne Brontë modeled this novel’s antagonist to his disgraced brother, Branwell, who, by that time, was addicted to drugs and alcohol.

“Reading is my favourite occupation, when I have leisure for it and books to read.”

Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey

18. Mary Shelley, 1797 – 1851

After her mother’s death and her father’s remarriage, Mary Shelley had to bear a difficult home life with a stepmother who never favored her. Reading and writing became her escape. Years later, when an acquaintance suggested writing a horror story, Shelley was up for the challenge. At age 19, she published Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, anonymously. It’s an epistolary novel with Gothic and Romantic literary elements.

What started as friendly competition between close acquaintances became Shelley’s literary legacy. In 1818, it was accepted as a Gothic novel but also heavily criticized for its gruesome and insane nature. Today, Frankenstein is widely regarded as the first science fiction novel. It offered a template for literary works to question morals, ethics, and the pursuit of knowledge. It now has many adaptations,

Shelley penned more books after Frankenstein, such as Valperga (1823), The Last Man (1826), and Mathilde (1959), which was published after her death.

“Nothing contributes so much to tranquilise the mind as a steady purpose.”

Mary Shelley

19. Toni Morrison, 1931 – 2019

Toni Morrison grew up appreciating her rich Black culture. With a deep understanding of the struggles and experiences of her community, especially as a Black woman, she published her first novel, The Bluest Eyes. It centers around a Black girl, Pecola, who wants to have blue eyes. Rather than mere beauty standards, the “blue eyes” refer to Pecola’s need to be accepted and loved by those around her. The Bluest Eyes only sold 2,000 copies in its original publication and was deemed controversial for its mature themes.

Morrison continued to write about her people, detailing real issues via descriptive vocabulary and stream-of-consciousness narrative to foster empathy between her characters and readers. Her third book, Song of Solomon, bagged the National Book Critics Circle Award and brought Morrison national attention. But what pushed her to the peak of literary fame is the historical fiction Beloved, which won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction award. It became a 1998 film starring Oprah Winfrey.

In 1993, Morrison accepted the Nobel Prize in Literature. She was the first African American woman to be awarded so.

“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.”

Toni Morrison, Beloved

See our list of authors like Toni Morrison!

20. Geraldine Brooks, 1955 –

As a foreign correspondent for many newspapers, Geraldine Brooks has stayed in dangerous territories like the Middle East and the Gulf States and witnessed wars’ impacts. Her experience in the field greatly influenced her detailed, poetic writing. In her 2001 novel Year of Wonders, Brooks used a terrifying part of history — the bubonic plague — to highlight faith and courage. It became a bestseller and won many honors.

In 2006, Brooks took home a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for March, a novel showcasing the perspective of the absent father in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Brooks gave a new spin to the children’s tale, embedding it with mature themes of marriage and morals during the Civil War.

“A book is more than the sum of its materials. It is an artifact of the human mind and hand.”

Geraldine Brooks, People of the Book

21. Edith Wharton, 1862 – 1937

Born into aristocracy, Edith Wharton’s literary career began with a collection of poetry, Verses, published when she was 16. After marriage, she co-authored a non-fiction book on design on architecture, The Decoration of Houses. At The Mount — an estate she built and designed — she wrote The House of Mirth and Ethan Frome. Both books offered an insider perspective on her upper-class society and called out its hypocrisies.

Still, with her social position, Wharton could easily escape the First World War. Instead, she stayed in Paris and became a war journalist and humanitarian. After the war, she wrote the romance novel The Age of Innocence which put her in the legendary position of being the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. Wharton’s simple yet elegant and vivid prose makes it easy to imagine old New York’s opulence and strict moral codes. It was later adapted into a 1993 film.

“No children of my own age… were as close to me as the great voices that spoke to me from books.”

Edith Wharton

22. Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811 – 1896

Harriet Beecher Stowe grew up in a religious family that supported her education and was open about social issues. She was a talented teacher, debater, and essayist.

Stowe already met many enslaved escapees and even saw slavery’s impact when she visited Kentucky. But it was only when her 18-month-old died of cholera did she fully felt the loss of enslaved mothers who had their children taken and sold.

The passing of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 (recapturing and returning escaped enslaved individuals to their “owners”) tipped Stowe to create Uncle Tom’s Cabin. A publisher of the newspaper The National Era requested her to “paint a word picture of slavery,” and Stowe did, vividly portraying slavery with her oratorical and sentimental prose. Her writing was clear, with biblical overtones that urged the public to support anti-slavery. The book greatly directed American politics and “helped precipitate the Civil War.” It has theatrical, cartoon, TV, and film adaptations.

“There is more done with pens than with swords.”

Harriet Beecher Stowe

23. Joan Didion, 1934 – 2021

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A Vogue essay contest started her career, but Joan Didion’s willingness to push the boundaries of traditional reporting made her a pioneer of New Journalism. She shifted the public’s eye to the reality of post-war America, focusing on the period’s social unrest and broken American spirit. Her sharp observations and no-nonsense cultural criticism are apparent in her writing, such as in her first essay collection, Slouching Towards Bethlehem.

Didion also published fiction, with the mystery novel Run River being her first. In 2005, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for her memoir Year of Magical Thinking — a heartfelt book about her husband’s death as she takes care of her daughter. She enjoyed various honors, with many of her books having on-screen adaptations.

“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means.”

Joan Didion

24. Beatrix Potter, 1866 – 1943

Encouraged to draw at a young age, Beatrix Potter would later become one of the most celebrated children’s book illustrators and writers of all time.

Potter was offered formal art education, but she always preferred informal training, observing and drawing the world around her. In 1893, she started sending her former governess’ children illustrated letters. The very first one shows a rabbit she called Peter. Potter compiled the series of letters she sent over the years and created the rough version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

After finding a publisher to work with, the first book became an instant success, Potter would end up releasing 23 books in total. She wrote and illustrated more books aside from the stubborn rabbit, Peter, and his adventures. Her works continue to spark children’s imaginations and inspire other illustrators.

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.”

Beatrix Potter

25. Gertrude Stein, 1874 – 1946

Although Gertrude Stein enjoyed learning in America, she found the country restrictive. Moving to Europe offered her the chance to rediscover her talents. Stein’s early books, Three Lives: Stories of the Good Anna, Melanctha, and the Gentle Lena and The Making of Americans both center around her personal life and musings.

She was an extreme Modernist writer. Stein experimented with language, aiming to strip it of all historical or cultural connotations. Such is demonstrated in her 1914 novel, Tender Objects. It features everyday objects made unfamiliar with Stein’s unorthodox writing style. She was a passionate advocate for novel forms of expressing art and literature.

“Writing and reading is to me synonymous with existing.”

Gertrude Stein