Women authors who changed the world of literature

From about 1750 English women began to make inroads into the literary marketplace, but writing did not become a recognizable profession for women until the 1840’s. Even when women started writing, they were not allowed to own their work, They had to work for someone else or they had to acquire a pen name for the novels they wrote. This happened because people would not buy books written by women in the typical patriarchal society of the eighteenth century. The famous author of ‘Little Women’, Louisa May Alcott used pen names such as A. M. Barnard, under whom she wrote lurid short stories and sensational novels for adults, earlier in her career.

“I ask not for any crown

But that which all may win;

Nor try to conquer any world

Except the one within.”

― Louisa May Alcott

Now we have a plethora of literary works left behind by these iconic women, that continue to stay relevant and bestsellers even in the twentieth century.

Here is a list of women authors whose words changed the world of literature.

JANE AUSTEN

The ‘Pride and Prejudice’ writer, not only revolutionized the global book publishing industry but also stood for education for women and cerebral equality of all kinds. Her writing style was full of comedy, satire and a very realistic portrayal of her characters. Most of her work was situated in England as she spent almost all her life there.In her six major novels—Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion—Austen created the comedy of manners of middle-class life in the England of her time, revealing the possibilities of “domestic” literature.Her books brought to life what an average woman goes through, from falling in love to marriage and then to understand her own identity.

VIRGINIA WOOLF

Coming from a strict Victorian background, Virginia had immense talent to write about topics that no one even talked about at the time. She wrote articles about artistic history, women’s writing and politics of power. A while after her first book ‘The Voyage Out’got published she was diagnosed with depression of the manic kind. It is said she even attempted to take her own life because of which her The Voyage Out got delayed. After her books started getting noticed and she started writing more, the rumors of her mental health were at bay for almost the rest of her life.Her best-known works include the novels Mrs Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927) and Orlando (1928). The direction of Modernist and contemporary writings was changed by Woolf’s eerie language, her prophetic insights into a wide range of historical, political, feminist, and artistic themes, and her revolutionary experiments with novelistic form throughout the course of a tremendously productive career.

JOANNE KATHLEEN ROWLING

JK Rowling built a universe that lives in every child’s head rent free. She transcended all the age groups and built something no one had ever done before. A fantasy world of magic and witchcraft, a world where good prevails evil and a world which is not perfect. The similarities between this made up world and her world were just so similar yet so different. This author of the exceptionally famous ‘The Harry Potter’ series and eventually some other works too, had a life of struggle before she got famous. Having lost her mother at a young age to multiple sclerosis, she grew up surrounded by books. Having been a part of a very abusive relationship, she finally divorced her former husband. She had a child and was trying to make ends meet. Jo conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 while sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. Over the next five years, she began to map out all seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and gradually built up a mass of notes, many of which were scribbled on odd scraps of paper. Bloomsbury , still a slowly growing publishing house, agreed to publish her first book. After the success of the ‘Harry Potter and thePhilosophers stone’, both the publisher and the author gained immense popularity, generating money, fame and the need for other books in the series to soon be released.

AGATHA CHRISTIE

It has been more than a hundred years since the first book by Agatha Christie got published. It was called ‘ The Mysterious Affair at styles’ and nobody had imagined it would become so popular on page, on screen and on stage. Christie’s iconic characters, cozy settings, clever plots and grisly deaths were hits from the start. Women authors writing ghastly about murders and making some of the best crime thrillers and murder mysteries was something people of that century could not even comprehend. Which is why she chose a pen name and She succeeded in keeping her identity as Mary Westmacott unknown for nearly twenty years and the books, much to her pleasure, were modestly successful. To honor her literary works , The Agatha Awards, named for Agatha Christie, are literary awards for mystery and crime writers who write in the traditional mystery subgenre. Some of her best books include Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Line and And Then There Were None. More than 30 feature films have been adapted from her works and they still continue to be successful. She changed the entire game of murder mysteries and her legacy continues even after her passing away.

ARUNDHATI ROY

When we talk about Indian literature, it’s only fair to mention Arundhati Roy who contributed in making the world realize that we have gems in this country. She became the first Indian citizen to win a ‘Man Booker Prize’ in 1998 for her book ‘The god of small things’. The semi-autobiographical work differed from the conventional plots and light prose that had been typical among best-sellers. Composed in a lyrical language about South Asian themes and characters in a narrative that wandered through time. Her books were bizarre and difficult to comprehend for the common population but she continued to write about her ideas. Being involved in a number of environmental and human rights campaigns, Roy frequently found herself at odds with Indian law enforcement as well as the middle-class establishment in that nation. She proved that no amount of legal boundaries and threats could stop her from speaking her mind and standing against what she considered wrong.