List of Women Writers - P

P

• Ruth Padel (born 1946), British poet, and non-fiction author known for her poetry criticism and nature writing.
• Isabel Pagan (c. 1740–1821), Scottish poet.
• Karen A. Page (born 1962), American food writer.
• Camille Paglia (born 1947), American feminist essayist. Sexual Personae
• Charlotte Painter (born 1926), American novelist and writer.
• Marina Palei (born 1955), Russian writer. Rendezvous
• Grace Paley (1922–2007), American short story writer, poet and activist.
• Nettie Palmer (1885–1964), Australian poet, essayist and literary critic.
• Kirsti Paltto (born 1947), Sámi playwright, short story and children's literature writer.
• Pamphile of Epidaurus (1st c. AD), Greek historian.
• Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928), English feminist activist, speaker and autobiography writer.
• Sylvia Pankhurst (1882–1960), English suffragist, poet; wrote Writ on Cold Slate, poems about her prison experience.
• Vera Panova (1905–1973), Soviet novelist and short story writer. Seryozha
• Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921), Spanish essayist and novelist.
• Sara Paretsky (born 1947), American mystery novelist.
• Dorothy Parker (1893–1967), American poet, critic and short story writer.
• Adele Parks (born 1969), English fiction writer.
• Suzan-Lori Parks (born 1964), American playwright and screenwriter.
• Sophia Parnok (1885–1933), Russian Silver Age poet.
• Catherine Parr (born 1512), Queen of England from 1543–1547, spouse of King Henry VIII.
• Anne Parrish (1888–1957), American children's novelist.
• Sarah Willis Parton (Fanny Fern) (1811–1872), American novelist, columnist and children's short story writer.
• Vesna Parun (1922–2010), Croatian poet.
• Karolina Pavlova (1807–1893), Russian writer. A Double Life
• Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska (1891–1945), Polish poet.
• Marlys Pearson (born 1963), American gay romance writer and Lambda Award nominee, Also known as M.J. Pearson.
• Erica Pedretti (born 1930), Czechoslovakian-born Swiss writer in German.
• Kathleen Peirce (born 1956), American poet.
• Emily Pepys (1833–1877), English child diarist (1844–5).
• Elizabeth Peters (born 1927), American mystery novelist. Amelia Peabody
• Ellis Peters (1913–1995), Welsh-English mystery novelist, short story writer and translator. Brother Cadfael
• Julia Peterkin (1880–1961), American short story writer and novelist.
• Lyudmila Petrushevskaya (born 1938), Russian writer and dramatist. Immortal Love
• Ann Petry (1908–1997), American journalist, short story writer and novelist.
• Katherine Philips (1631–1664), English poet.
• Phintys (or Phyntis, 4th or 3rd c. BC), Greek philosopher.
• Karoline Pichler (also Caroline, 1769–1843), Austrian novelist. Agathocles
• Meredith Ann Pierce (born 1958), American fantasy writer.
• Tamora Pierce (born 1954), American children's novelist. Alanna of Trebond
• Marge Piercy (born 1936), American poet, novelist, and social activist.
• Ruth Pitter (1897–1992), English poet; first woman to receive the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1955.
• Mary Pix (1666–1709), English novelist and playwright.
• Christine de Pizan (1364–1430), Venetian feminist poet and rhetorician in French. The Book of the City of Ladies
• Alejandra Pizarnik (1936–1972), Argentine poet.
• Josefina Pla (1903–1999), Spanish poet, playwright, art critic, painter and journalist.
• Sylvia Plath (1932–1963), American poet, novelist, short story writer and essayist.
• Ann Plato (born c. 1820), American essayist.
• Karen Platt (fl. 2004–present), English gardening writer.
• Anne Plumptre (1760–1818), English translator and fiction, travel, and political writer.
• Aliénor de Poitiers (fl. late 15th c.), French writer on court etiquette.
• Elizabeth Polack (fl. 1830–1838), Anglo-Jewish playwright.
• Katha Pollitt (born 1949), American feminist poet, essayist and critic.
• Elizaveta Polonskaya (1890–1969), Russian Jewish poet, translator, and journalist.
• Elizabeth Polwheele (1651–c. 1691), British playwright.
• Elena Poniatowska (born 1932), Polish-Mexican journalist, novelist and short story writer.
• Marie Ponsot (born 1921), American poet and essayist.
• Anna Maria Porter (1780–1832), English poet and novelist.
• Eleanor H. Porter (1868–1920), American children's writer. Pollyanna
• Jane Porter (1776–1850), English historical novelist and playwright.
• Katherine Anne Porter (1890–1980), American journalist, essayist, story writer and novelist.
• Beatrix Potter (1866–1943), English children's writer and illustrator. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
• Emily Post (1873–1960), American journalist and novelist. Etiquette
• Halina Poświatowska (1935–1967), Polish poet.
• Dawn Powell (1896–1965), American novelist, playwright and short story writer.
• Rhoda Power (1890–1957), English educational and children's writer.
• Praxilla (5th c. BC), Greek poet.
• Paula von Preradović (1887–1951), Austrian story writer and poet.
• Katharine Susannah Prichard (1883–1969), Australian novelist, playwright and short story writer.
• Pauline Prior-Pitt, British poet.
• Amrita Pritam (1919–2005), considered the first prominent woman Punjabi poet, novelist, and essayist.
• Faltonia Betitia Proba (c. 306/15–c. 353/66), Roman poet in Latin.
• Adelaide Anne Procter (1825–1864), English poet.
• E. Annie Proulx (born 1935), American novelist, short story writer and journalist. The Shipping News
• Ptolemais of Cyrene, (3rd c. BC or later), Greek writer on music.
• Barbara Pym (1913–1980), English novelist. Quartet in Autumn