Women* Writers of the World

By: Jennifer Fiorile

Below is a list of women* writers from various corners of the world. It is by no means an exhaustive list. It has been informed by a wide range of articles and research. I hope it provides a good starting place to broaden your reading.

These writers are categorized by genre as seen in the bulk of their work, though no one fits neatly into one category. Many writers here are fiction novelists, memoirists, non-fiction novelists, and poets. The countries next to their names indicate place of origin, place of residence, place of descent, or the language their work is generally written in. Though a work may not have originally been written in your preferred reading language, it may have been translated into it. This list does not indicate which works have or have not been translated.

This document should evolve based on suggestions and more research. If you have suggestions on writers, please send them to wwblsubmissions@gmail.com.

This is a list of intersectional feminist reading by the International Women’s Development Agency of Australia.

Poets: May Ayim (Ghanaian-German), Maya Angelou (US), Gwendolyn Brooks (US), Salena Godden (Jamaican-Irish), Professor Ama Ata Aidoo (Ghana)

Memoirist: Anne Chebu (German), Esther Donkor (German), Louise Adelson (French), Desirée Bela-Lobedde (Spanish), Yiyun Lee (China, American), Leila Ahmed (Egypt, US), Monica Connell (Northern Ireland)

Anthology:

  • Future: Il Domani Narrato dalle Voci di Oggi” (effequ 2019), which translates to Future: Tomorrow Narrated from the Voices of Today, edited by writer, Igiaba Scego. The writers featured are: Leila El Houssi, Lucia Ghebreghiorges, Alesa Herero, Esperance H. Ripanti, Djarah Kan, Ndack Mbaye, Marie Moïse, Leaticia Ouedraogo, Angelica Pesarini, Addes Tesfamariam, and Wii (Italian)

  • Manila Noir edited by Jessica Hagedorn (Philippines)

Intersectional Feminist: bell hooks (US), Roxanne Gay (US)

Speech Writing: Sojourner Truth (US)

Mystery: Naja Marie Aidt (Denmark), Gillian Flynn (US)

YA Fantasy: Sabaa Tahir (Pakistani American)

Short Story: Nu Nu Yi (Myanmar), Intan Paramaditha (Indonesia), Veeraporn Nitiprapha (Thailand), Zadie Smith (England)

Novelists:

  • Leonora Miano (Cameroon, French)

  • Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie (Nigerian, American)

  • Callie Browning (Carribean)

  • Cherie Jones (Barbados)

  • Naima Coster (Afro-Dominican-American)

  • Lucía Mbomio (Afro-Spanish)

  • Banana Yoshimoti (Japan)

  • Han Kang (South Korea)

  • Hiromi Kawakami (Japan)

  • Jhumpa Lahiri (Bengali-American)

  • Toni Morrison (US)

  • Leila Aboulela (Egypt, Sudan, US)

  • Shereen Malherbe (British Palestinian)

  • Nisha Sharma (English-written)

  • Farah Heron (Canadian, Gujarati)

  • Kim Thúy (Vietnam, Canada)

  • Kate O’Brien (Ireland)

  • Emma Donoghue (Irish-Canadian)

  • Doris Lessing British-Zimbabwean (Rhodesian)

  • Joan Lindsay (Australian)

  • Alexis Wright (Waanyi-Aboriginal Australian)

Academic: Juliette Sméralda (Afro-French)

Latin American Feminism: Alfonsina Storni (Argentina), Carmen Boullosa, Cristina Peri Rossi (Uruguay, Spain), Gabriela Mistral (Chile), Sônia Coutinho (Brazil)

Graphic Novel: Marguerite Abouet (Cote d’Ivoire), Marjane Satrapi (Iran)

Non-Fiction: Zainab Salbi (Iraq, US, England), Majgull Axelsson (Swedish), Elizabeth Bowen (Ireland)

Sci-Fi: Karin Boye (Sweden)

Playwright: Rebecca Callard (England), Janet Paisley (Scotland), Catherine Tregenna (Wales)

WWBL Author