It’s well-known that historically women have had to go the extra mile to stand out in any social sphere. Being a female writer was no vacation, and endless genius authors found it difficult to make a name of their own in the literary world. From having to use a male pseudonym or become the black sheep of their social circles, many female authors sacrificed their souls to imprint their thoughts and concerns into paper.
The following feminist authors are recognized today as some of the very best in literary history. Their stories touched millions not only for their originality but also because of the honest way in which they told them. The injustices and pain they endured in life, are constant subjects in their work; but beyond that, great life lessons that keep inspiring us.
Virginia Woolf
The famed British writer is considered one of the most outstanding figures of the Anglo-Saxon vanguardist modernism of the 20th century and international feminism. Her narrative technique of interior monologue and her poetic style made her stand out at the time, further, raising issues such as the social, political, and intellectual injustice that women endure on daily basis. Woolf’s work also deals with issues such as mental health and sexuality, which were also taboo subjects in the 20th century.
In some of her books, Virginia Woolf exposes the feeling of being insecure about being a writer, the very few moments in which she felt happy, and her mental health. Nowadays, she is considered one of the greatest authors in literature.
Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas is a prestigious American author of fantasy novels; one of her most famous works is the Throne of Glass series and the saga A Court of Roses and Thorns. Her work has been translated into 37 languages, and she has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. In addition to this, she’s recognized for having introduced young adults to literature.
Maas is considered a feminist writer because of her deep female characters, who are powerful and energetic, such as Celaena Sardothien in Throne of Glass, who has become a role model for young readers. Her biggest contribution to literature has been the creation of three different fantasy worlds, which have been an inspiration to other fantasy authors such as Veronica Roth and V.S Schwab. Sarah J. Maas has introduced the fantasy gender for young adults through a very creative way of thinking.
Mary Shelley
Writer, playwright, essayist, and biographer, Mary Shelley is best known for her gothic novel Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus (1818), considered the first modern science fiction novel and the first to inaugurate the genre. The passing of her mother, the four abortions she suffered, the abandonment she felt as a child, and the desire to bring her mother back to life are some of the subjects that inspired the origin of Frankenstein, one of the most important literary works of the 19th century.