List of Women Writers - L

L

• Mercedes Lackey (born 1950), American fantasy novelist.
• Madame de La Fayette (1634–1693), French novelist. La Princesse de Clèves
• Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940), Swedish novelist and children's novelist, and 1909 Nobel Prize in Literature-winner.
• Sinikka Laine (born 1945), Finnish writer of young adult literature.
• Jhumpa Lahiri (born 1967), Bengali American short story writer and novelist; won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies; also wrote The Namesake
• Laila Lalami (born 1968), Moroccan American journalist, essayist and novelist. Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits
• Lalleshwari (aka Lalla, Lal Ded or Lal Arifa) (1320–1392), Mystic and poet; creator of the mystic poetry called vatsun, the earliest compositions in the Kashmiri language.
• Lady Caroline Lamb (1785–1828), English novelist.
• Mary Lamb (1764–1847), co-author with her brother Charles Lamb.
• Alice Elinor Lambert (1886–1981), American romance novelist.
• Anne Lamott (born 1954), political activist, progressive and author of several novels and works of non-fiction.
• Leena Lander (born 1955), Finnish novelist.
• Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L., 1802–1838), English poet and novelist.
• Margaret Landon (1903–1993), American novelist. Anna and the King of Siam
• Jane Lane (1905–1978), British historical novelist and biographer.
• Katja Lange-Müller (born 1951), German novelist.
• Elisabeth Langgässer (1899–1950), German poet and novelist.
• Eve Langley (1908–1974), Australian novelist.
• Aemilia Lanyer (1569–1645), English poet.
• Alda Lara (1930–1962), Angolan poet.
• Lucy Larcom (1824–1893), millgirl, frequent contributor to the Lowell Offering, published four books of poetry in her lifetime.
• Rebecca Hammond Lard (1772–1855), American poet; first poet of Indiana.
• Claudia Lars (1899–1974), Salvadoran poet.
• Nella Larsen (1891–1964), American novelist and short story writer.
• Sophie von La Roche (1730–1807), German novelist.
• Else Lasker-Schüler (1869–1945), German poet and playwright.
• Yulia Latynina (born 1966), Russian writer. The Insider
• Evelyn Lau (born 1971), Canadian poet and novelist.
• Margaret Laurence (1926–1987), Canadian novelist and short story writer. The Stone Angel
• Dorianne Laux, (born 1952) American poet.
• Christine Lavant (1915–1973), Austrian poet and novelist.
• Mary Lavin (1912–1996), Irish novelist and short story writer.
• Emily Lawless (1845–1913), Irish novelist and poet.
• Layla al-Akhyaliyya (7th c.), Arab poet.
• Emma Lazarus (1849–1887), best known for her poem The New Colossus (inscribed on the Statue of Liberty).
• Jane Leade (1624–1704), English mystic.
• Louisa Leaman (born 1976), English writer on education.
• Mary Leapor (1722–1746), English poet.
• Violette Leduc (1907–1972), French novelist and autobiographer.
• Ursula K. Le Guin (born 1929), American science fiction and children's novelist, poet and essayist. Earthsea, Ekumen
• Harper Lee (born 1926), American novelist. To Kill a Mockingbird
• Harriet Lee (1757–1851), English novelist and playwright.
• Muna Lee (1895–1965), American poet and translator.
• Sophia Lee (1750–1824), English playwright and novelist.
• Tanith Lee (born 1947), British novelist, poet, and screenwriter.
• Gertrud von Le Fort (1876–1971), German novelist, poet and essayist.
• Joy Leftow American poet.
• Tuija Lehtinen (born 1954), Finnish children's writer and novelist.
• Leena Lehtolainen (born 1964), Finnish crime writer.
• Rebecca Lenkiewicz (born 1968), English playwright.
• Katerina Lemmel (1466–1533), German letter-writer and nun.
• Madeleine L'Engle (born 1918), American novelist and children's novelist. A Wrinkle in Time
• Sue Lenier (born 1957), English poet and playwright.
• Ellen Lenneck (1851–1880), German novelist and story writer.
• Anna Maria Lenngren (1754–1817), Swedish writer, poet, feminist, translator and salonist.
• Charlotte Lennox (1720–1804), English novelist, poet, and dramatist.
• Donna Leon (born 1942), American-Italian mystery novelist.
• Ellen Lenneck (Helene Weichardt, 1851–1880), German author of novels and novellas.
• Charlotte Lennox (1730–1804), American-born English writer and poet.
• Doris Lessing (born 1919), English-Zimbabwean novelist. Canopus in Argos
• Meridel Le Sueur (1900–1996), American journalist and novelist.
• Octavia Walton Le Vert (1811–1877), American writer.
• Denise Levertov (1923–1997), English American poet and essayist.
• Aurora Levins Morales (born 1954), U.S. Puerto Rican essayist, poet and fiction writer.
• Andrea Levy (born 1956), English novelist.
• Fanny Lewald (1811–1889), German novelist and feminist.
• Alethea Lewis (1749–1827), English novelist.
• Janet Lewis (1899–1998), American novelist.
• Li Qingzhao (1084–1151), Chinese poet of the Song Dynasty.
• Mechtilde Lichnowsky (1879–1958), German poet, playwright and essayist.
• Erika Liebman (1738–1803), Swedish poet and academic.
• Antoinette du Ligier de la Garde Deshoulières (1638–1694), French poet.
• Rosa Liksom (born 1958), Finnish short story writer, novelist and children's writer.
• Suzanne Lilar (1901–1992), Belgian playwright, essayist and novelist writing in French.
• Lin Huiyin (1904–1955), Chinese architect and writer.
• Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002), Swedish children's novelist. Pippi Longstocking
• Elizabeth Linington (1921–1988), American mystery novelist.
• Kelly Link (born 1969), American short story writer and editor.
• Clarice Lispector (1920–1977), Brazilian novelist. The Passion According to G.H.
• Dorothy Livesay (1909–1996), Canadian poet.
• Liz Lochhead (born 1947), Scottish poet and dramatist.
• Mirra Lokhvitskaya (1869–1905), Russian poet.
• Anita Loos (1888–1981), American screenwriter, playwright and novelist. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (book)
• Josefina Lopez (born 1969), Chicana playwright,screenwriter and novelist. Real Women Have Curves
• Audre Lorde (1934–1992), American poet.
• Emilie Loring (1864–1951), American romance novelist.
• Isabel Losada, British writer, actress, singer, dancer, and television producer.
• Amy Lowell (1874–1925), American poet.
• Lois Lowry (born 1937), American children's novelist. Number the Stars, The Giver
• Mina Loy (1882–1966), English poet and artist.
• Dulce María Loynaz (1902–1997), Cuban poet and novelist.
• Clare Booth Luce (1903–1987), American editor, playwright and journalist.
• Jane Lumley (1537–1578), English translator.
• Ulla-Lena Lundberg (born 1947), Finland-Swedish author.
• Alison Lurie (born 1926), American novelist and academic. Foreign Affairs