I would like to acknowledge some of my favourite female authors who have shaped both my outlook and writing style. So, why do I love them so much? Each of these authors have their own unique way of expressing ideas and have remained true to themselves throughout their work, even when met with judgement from others.

In A Room of One’s Own, Virigina Woolf wrote: “Literature is strewn with the wreckage of men who have minded beyond reason the opinions of others”. 

These women each wrote about what was important to them. They wrote what they wanted to write rather than what they were expected to write, and the world loved them for it.

Here are just five of my favourite female writers, in no particular order:

Nora Ephron

Who was she?

Nora Ephron was an American journalist, writer and filmmaker. She is probably best known for writing the much-loved films When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle. She also wrote for a variety of newspapers and magazines and soon became known for her unique, witty and frankly hysterical take on women’s issues. 

She has published several essay collections and her novel  Heartburn is currently available on Kindle for just £0.99. 

Why is she important? Reading Ephron’s work is the literary equivalent of listening to your ever so slightly kooky aunt’s hilarious anecdotes on life. 

My personal favourite article of hers is an article she wrote for the New Yorker in 2006, Nora Ephron’s Apartment: A Love Story, which is basically a long explanation of how she justified to herself the “astronomical amount” of money it cost to keep her gorgeous Manhattan apartment.

“The thinking was,” wrote Ephron “that over fifty-six years the two hundred and eighty-five thousand dollars would amortize out to four cappuccinos a day. Grande cappuccinos. Mucho grande cappuccinos.”Extremely relatable. Nora Ephron makes you laugh, she makes you think and she makes you extremely hungry with her delicious recipes. 

Dolly Alderton

Who is she?

Dolly Alderton is an English journalist, author and podcast host. She became instantly popular with her hugely successful memoir, Everything I Know About Love. She hosts a weekly podcast, The High Low,  with fellow journalist and close friend, Pandora Sykes, in which they chat about current affairs and pop culture. Her new novel, Ghosts, is available to pre-order now. 

Why is she important? Dolly Alderton is pretty much the millennial version of Nora Ephron, which probably explains why I love her so much. Like 

Ephron, her honesty and humour will appeal especially to women in their 20s and 30s.

“To be a desirable woman – the sky’s the limit,” wrote Alderton. “Have every surface of your body waxed. Have manicures every week. Wear heels every day. Look like a Victoria’s Secret Angel even though you work in an office.”

If you’re looking for something extremely relatable and down to earth, but at the same time incredibly heartwarming and insightful, give Alderton a read. 

Margaret Atwood 

Who is she?

More like, who isn’t she? Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, inventor, teacher and environmental activist. You will probably know her as the author of the dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, written in 1985 and more recently the highly anticipated sequel, The Testaments, released in 2019. 

Overall, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels and 11 non-fiction books and has won - amongst many other prizes - the Booker prize. 

Why is she important today? 

Atwood is a strong feminist and brilliant writer. The Handmaid’s Tale has sold over 8 million copies worldwide and was adapted into an incredibly popular TV show in 2017. The Handmaid’s traditional red outfit was donned by hundreds of protesters around the world as a symbol of the oppression of women. 

Atwood writes the kind of absorbing prose you tend to devour in just a few hours, because you just need to know what’ll happen next. Aside from this, how could you not love the stubborn writer who brings out a hugely successful novel in 1985 and then waits 34 years to bring out a sequel, just as everyone had stopped expecting one? Bravo. 

Virginia Woolf 

Who was she?

Virginia Woolf is now considered one of the most important modernist 20th century authors. She was the first author to use the stream of consciousness technique in her writing.

Her popular published novels include A Room of One’s Own and Mrs Dalloway. She wrote between 1925 to 1931.

Why is she important today? Woolf’s work was, in my opinion, extremely ahead of its time. She wrote a great deal about feminism and was even a pioneer for writing about the LGBTQ community.

In A Room of One’s Own, Woolf wrote about the contrast of  women in male literature to the everyday reality for women: “Imaginatively she is of the highest importance; practically she is completely insignificant. She pervades poetry from cover to cover; she is all but absent from history.

 Some of the most inspired words, some of the most profound thoughts in literature fall from her lips; in real life she could hardly read, could scarcely spell, and was the property of her husband.”

I think Woolf’s novels are often dismissed as ‘difficult’’, ‘dull’ and ‘dense’ reads, and this is precisely how I’d perceived them before reading. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Woolf’s writing is incredibly easy to read and flows better than the majority of writing nowadays. 

Her classic novel To the Lighthouse is only £0.49 on Kindle at the moment. 

Candice Carty-Williams 

Who is she?

Candice Carty-Williams is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling novel, Queenie. She has also written for the Guardian, i-D, Vogue International, the Sunday Times, BEAT Magazine, Black Ballad and more. 

In 2016, Carty-Williams created and launched the Guardian and 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize, which helps BAME writers get their work published.

Why is she important today? 

Queenie follows the life of a 26-year-old Jamaican British woman and her struggles to navigate dating, friendships, career and everyday racism in London. 

Carty-Williams’ writing is amusing, smart and manages to entertain while subtly illuminating the casual racism present in our society. She tugs at your heartstrings with her flawed but lovable characters. I would recommend Carty-Williams’ debut novel to everyone and I look forward to reading more of her work. 

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Written by Chloe Lane