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 Strik