Claim: In Esperanto literature, Henri Vallienne was the first to write novels in the language, and the first female novelist in Esperanto was Edith Alleyne Sinnotte with her book Lilio.
Evidence: Other early speakers wrote poetry, stories, and essays in the language; Henri Vallienne was the first to write novels in Esperanto. The first female Esperanto novelist was Edith Alleyne Sinnotte with her book Lilio published in 1918.