Ever since I binge-read Divergent in a day when I was in middle school, I’ve been a pretty avid reader. Young Adult was my favorite flavor, though coming-of-age stories and the occasional romance also added variety to my reads. Over time, sci-fi and fantasy also came to line my shelves, and (recently) a couple of classics. All that reading actually motivated me to start writing my own stories, original fiction that never seems to be finished, yet also manages to pop into mind when I should be productive. Naturally, I’ve been curious about women who came before me and made an impact in the literary world. Women who managed to complete and publish their manuscripts, shaping literature as we know it. For Women’s History Month, I chose a handful of authors who’ve done just that and looked into them!
MARY SHELLEY
Mary Woolstonecraft Shelley was an English novelist active during the Romantic period. She grew up surrounded by intellectuals and writers, which led to her writing career starting when she was 11 years old. Her most well-known story, Frankenstein, has become a pillar for Gothic horror and is even considered to be the first science-fiction novel. This was one of my first introductions into classic literature and it was a foundational work for my younger self. A list of the most influential female writers would be incomplete without her!
Recommended reading: Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus (1818)
JANE AUSTEN
Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility are three of the six novels that Jane Austen is most known for. These stories stand out because they offer sharp social commentary and subtle critiques of the novels and societal conventions of the time, all while remaining endlessly successful and timeless classics. One of the more remarkable things Austen’s works did was depict the lives of the everyday people, even if those people happened to be landed gentry. This perspective contributed a more modern approach to the novel that can still be seen in contemporary works.
Recommended reading: Pride and Prejudice (1813)
AGATHA CHRISTIE
Who could forget the queen of whodunits herself, Agatha Christie? With tales revolving around characters like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, Christie made a name for herself as a crime fiction writer and playwright. Her writing career began while she worked as a nurse during World War I, and her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in 1920. Although Christie is mostly known for her cleverly crafted detective stories — serving a near-impossible crime and then spelling things out in a big reveal at the end of the story — she also wrote romantic novels under a pseudonym: Mary Westmacott!
Recommended reading: Murder on the Orient Express (1934)
TONI MORRISON
Toni Morrison was an American novelist and editor whose work put the Black community at the forefront, especially the experiences of Black women. She also refused to shy away from portraying the terrible consequences brought on by racism in the United States. Her remarkable work as a novelist earned her a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, among many other accolades. Morrison’s most famous work, Beloved, was adapted to film in 1998.
Recommended reading: Beloved (1987)
MARGARET ATWOOD
Our final figure is a Canadian writer whose prose fiction feels like an imminent warning: Margaret Atwood. Though she has many poems and books spanning several genres, the most well-known of her works is, without a doubt, The Handmaid’s Tale. This speculative fiction/dystopian novel has become more relevant as of late, even after nearly 41 years since it was published. While the TV series adaptation of the novel produced by Hulu has helped to better visualize the terrifying story, the original text has a certain eeriness that can’t be ignored by its readers.
Recommended reading: The Handmaid’s Tale (1985)
With that, we conclude our roster of remarkable female writers that you should definitely check out this month (or at any time). The stylistic variations between each of them is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, readers!