The Best Female Authors of All Time

Though International Women’s Day may have been just that to some, a simple 24 hours, over here at Nerdy Nook we decided to take our time and celebrate as many women as possible this month. While I was tempted to follow the best female character route, I decided I had too much to say about the women who write them. 

Below is a list of the best female authors, old and new, who in some way shaped the landscape for those who followed their footsteps. While I wish I could list them all, time is limited and so this is just a snippet. If your favourite isn’t on here, feel free to tell us all about them in the comments!

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Mary Shelley

An icon to goth kids everywhere, Mary Shelley has left behind an oddly romantic legacy, and while she may be best known for one particular novel, it’s important to acknowledge the impact that one particular novel (and Shelley herself) had on the authors who followed her path into horror. 

The story of how Shelley came to write her seminal novel, Frankenstein, has become infamous as the years have rolled on. On a particularly rainy day while on holiday, Shelley, her husband and Lord Byron challenged themselves to write a ghost story. From there, Shelley started to write one of the earliest examples of science fiction, one that has remained at the forefront of literature in the centuries since its publication. However, it’s important to remember – Shelley was more than that. For a while, Frankenstein and who she was married to was all she was remembered for. It’s only as early as the 1970s, feminist critics and scholars began to look deeper into her as a person, focusing on her other novels as well as the one that cemented her legacy. Shelley was a fascinating person in her own right, and if you have the time to look into her, you definitely should.

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Daphne du Maurier

Though classed as a romantic novelist, Daphne du Maurier’s novels are rooted in darkness, the Gothic and at times, the paranormal. (Also, Cornwall – the woman loved Cornwall). Best known for her Gothic novel Rebecca, du Maurier’s books leave the reader in a state of uncertainty but gripped to the page nonetheless. 

Du Maurier’s writing can be a slow burn – you may expect to be immediately thrown into action, but she leads you gently into the narrative. She describes the environment and the characters until they’re pictured perfectly in your head, their emotions becoming entwined with yours. While there may be temptation to put the book down and pick up another, eventually there’s a subtle moment where everything switches and you can’t sleep until you’ve turned the final page. Basically, she’s great, go read.

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Jacqueline Wilson

For the longest time, Jacqueline Wilson had a tight grip on young adult literature. Even with the rise of one series in particular, Wilson steadily released books, year after year, each one with a slightly more tragic story than the last. No main character without their self-esteem or parental issues, Wilson’s books were often aimed at those who felt less than in comparison to their peers. 

Often with a message buried beneath the sentences, Wilson’s legacy was cemented with the release of The Story of Tracy Beaker (which had its own TV show counterpart) and it has steadily grown in the decades since. Though she’s been publishing her books since 1969, it wasn’t until 1991 she found her breakthrough, which hopefully shows everyone that sometimes what you want, takes more time than you may realise.

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Malorie Blackman

In a similar vein to Jacqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman became an important voice and figure in young adult literature after the publication of her series, Noughts & Crosses – a series set in a fictional, alternative Britain where Noughts and Crosses are segregated from one another. Exploring love, violence and racism (at times, using examples and experiences from her own life to show the reality of it), the series became formidable, often hitting best-selling lists with each iteration. 

While Blackman may take her time between each publication, she still remains one of the most beloved children’s authors – consistently shining a light on those who may not be represented often in literature, writing from personal experiences gives her work a depth of realism that may not be found in other children’s literature. Blackman uses her platform to not only inform, but to allow a conversation to be started, even if it’s just a conversation between friends.

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Zadie Smith

Image by Scout Press

A force of nature before she was even out of university, Zadie Smith’s career has branched out beyond being an author, taking segue’s into academia. With only a half written manuscript, Smith’s debut novel White Teeth was auctioned to the highest bidder – she finalised the book in her final year at university. Though the book had its fair share of criticism (which Smith acknowledged), it also received an incredible amount of acclaim, winning a number of awards. 

Through her characters – Bangladeshi Samad Iqbal and Englishman Archie Jones – Smith’s debut looks closely at the relationship Britain has with immigrants from the British Commonwealth. It remains a staggering debut, one that allowed Smith to move into avenues in her career. Never seeming to shy away from criticism, Smith has also never stopped moving – from writer-in-residence at Institute of Contemporary Arts, to becoming a tenured professor at New York University. Even in her books, Smith moves from different voices and perspectives, often with wide acclaim. An incredibly varied voice, if you pick up a Zadie Smith book, you know you’re in for a treat. If you haven’t read her before, start from the beginning and pick up White Teeth before anything else.

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Asako Yuzuki

Though perhaps a newer name to the Western publishing world, Asako Yuzuki’s work has been critically acclaimed since she won the 88th All Yomimono Prize for New Writers in 2008. Since then, Yuzuki has been steadily publishing books, most of which focus on women and the pressures, frustrations and the relationships they curate with one another. An incredible voice, Yuzuki has been nominated for the Naoki Prize four times in her short career. 

It was only recently in 2024, that Yuzuki’s powerful book Butter was translated for Western readers. An immediate hit, it was quickly pushed to the top of best-seller lists with Waterstones listing it as their Book of the Year. A reporter investigating the story of a woman in prison who is accused of luring men to their death with her insatiable cooking may not sound like the most interesting novel on the surface, however, having read it myself, I will say it lives up to the hype. While I found it took some time to get into it, once you do, it’s an incredible read to go on. I sincerely hope any previous or future publications are translated – if you’re able to read Japanese, however, do yourself a favour and find a backlog of Yuzuki’s books.

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Conclusion

While this is only a small fragment of the amazing women authors the world has showcased, there are thousands more out there waiting to be discovered. Hopefully from one of these names, you find your next favourite author. 

What do you think of our list? Did we miss a name who you think should be considered as one of the best female authors? Let us know in the comments!

See also: Most Anticipated Books of 2025

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