# List of Italian women writers

This is a list of women writers (including poets) who were born in Italy or whose writings are closely associated with that country.

## A

* Vittoria Aganoor (1855–1910), poet, letter writer
* Milena Agus (born 1959), novelist
* Sibilla Aleramo (1876–1960), poet, autobiographer, feminist writer
* Gabriella Ambrosio (born 1954), novelist, essayist, journalist
* Isabella Andreini (1562–1604), playwright, poet, actress
* Tullia d'Aragona (c. 1510–1556), writer, philosopher, courtesan
* Antonia Arslan (born 1938), novelist, critic, translator, educator
* Devorà Ascarelli (c. 16th century), poet and translator
* Costanza d'Avalos Piccolomini (died 1560), poet
* Elisa S. Amore (born 1984), novelist

## B

* Ida Baccini (1850–1911), children's writer
* Emma Baeri (born 1942), feminist historian, political scientist
* Teresa Bandettini (1763–1837), poet, dancer
* Anna Banti (1895–1985), historical novelist, critic, autobiographer
* Barbara Baraldi, thriller novelist
* Giuseppa Barbapiccola, (1702–c. 1740), poet, translator
* Laura Battiferri (1523–1589), poet
* Giuliana Berlinguer (1933–2014), film director, screenwriter, novelist
* Angela Bianchini (1921–2018), novelist, short story writer, translator
* Alberta Bigagli (1928–2017), poet
* Margarita Bobba (16th century), poet
* Catherine of Bologna (1413–1463), religious writer, saint
* Simona Bonafé (born 1973), journalist, politician
* Laudomia Bonanni (1907–2002), writer, journalist
* Maria Selvaggia Borghini (1656–1731), poet, translator
* Benedetta Brevini, academic, author, journalist, and reformer
* Helle Busacca (1915–1996), poet, painter, author

## C

* Paola Calvetti (born 1958), novelist, journalist
* Duccia Camiciotti (1928–2014), poet, essayist
* Manuela Campanelli (born 1962), journalist, non-fiction writer
* Paola Capriolo (born 1962), novelist, translator
* Lara Cardella (born 1969), novelist, author of Good Girls Don't Wear Trousers
* Catherine of Siena (1347–1380), religious writings
* Nadia Cavalera (born 1950), novelist, poet, critic
* Laura Cereta (1469–1499), 15th-century letter writer
* Isabella Cervoni (1575–1600), poet
* Alba de Céspedes (1911–1997), journalist, novelist
* Saveria Chemotti (born 1947), non-fiction, essays, literary criticism, novels
* Maria Chessa Lai (1922–2012), Catalan poet from Sardinia
* Elisa Chimenti (1883–1969), author
* Fausta Cialente (1898–1994), novelist
* Maria Luisa Cicci (1760–1794), poet
* Vittoria Colonna (1492–1547), popular 16th-century poet
* Danila Comastri Montanari (1948–2023), novelist
* Cristina Comencini (born 1956), novelist, film director
* Margherita Costa (17th century), poet, songwriter
* Maria Corti (1915–2002), philologist, critic, novelist

## D

* Virgilia D'Andrea (1888–1933), anarchist poet
* Emanuela Da Ros (born 1959), children's writer
* Grazia Deledda (1871–1936), novelist, poet, Nobel laureate
* Silvana De Mari (born 1953), children's writer, fantasy novelist
* Compiuta Donzella (13th century), earliest women poet writing in Italian
* Paola Drigo (1876–1938), short story writer, novelist
* Francesca Duranti (born 1935), novelist

## E

* Muzi Epifani (1935–1984), novelist, poet, playwright, columnist

## F

* Camilla Faà (c. 1599–1662), early autobiographer
* Oriana Fallaci (1929–2006), journalist, biographer
* Eleonora Fonseca Pimentel (1752–1799), poet, letter writer
* Moderata Fonte (1555–1592), Venetian poet
* Laudomia Forteguerri (1515–1555?), poet
* Biancamaria Frabotta (1946–2022), poet, playwright, essayist, non-fiction writer
* Veronica Franco (1546–1591), poet

## G

* Veronica Gambara (1485–1550), poet, letter writer
* Brunella Gasperini (1918–1979), journalist, novelist
* Natalia Ginzburg (1916–1991, novelist, short story writer, essayist
* Cinzia Giorgio (born 1975), novelist, playwright, essayist
* Elisabetta Gnone (born 1965), children's writer
* Simonetta Greggio (born 1961), novelist, writes in French
* Cornelia Barbaro Gritti (1719–1808), poet and salon-holder
* Amalia Guglielminetti (1881–1941), poet, letter writer
* Margherita Guidacci (1921–1992), poet, translator
* Lucia Guerrini (1921–1990), classical scholar, archaeologist, writer and editor

## J

* Fleur Jaeggy (born 1940), Swiss-born Italian-language novelist

## M

* Maria-Antonietta Macciocchi (1922–2007), journalist, non-fiction writer
* Alessandra Macinghi (1406–1471), letter writer
* Clementina Laura Majocchi (1866–1945)
* Maria Majocchi (1864–1917) writer, journalist, editor-in-chief
* Laura Beatrice Mancini (1821–1869), poet, salonist
* Gianna Manzini (1896–1974), novelist
* Dacia Maraini (born 1936), novelist, playwright, poet, journalist
* Faustina Maratti (c. 1679–1745), poet
* Andrea Marcolongo (born 1987) Greek classics enthusiast
* Lucrezia Marinella (1571–1653), poet, prose writer
* Battista Malatesta (c. 1384–1448), Renaissance poet
* Chiara Matraini (1515–1604), poet, religious writer
* Margaret Mazzantini (born 1961), actress, novelist
* Melania Mazzucco (born 1966), author
* Diamante Medaglia Faini (1724–1770), poet, madrigal composer
* Alda Merini (1931–2009), revered poet
* Maria Messina (1887–1944), short story writer and novelist
* Beatrice Monroy (born 1953), author and dramatist
* Maria Montessori (1870–1952), educational writer
* Giuliana Morandini (1938–2019), novelist, children's writer
* Elsa Morante (1912–1985), novelist, short story writer, poet
* Marta Morazzoni (born 1950), novelist, short story writer
* Lisa Morpurgo (1923–1998), novelist
* Isabella Morra (c. 1520–1545), Renaissance poet

## N

* Ada Negri (1870–1945), poet, novelist
* Giulia Niccolai (1934–2021), poet, novelist, translator

## O

* Anna Maria Ortese (1914–1998), short story writer, poet

## P

* Angeliki Palli (1798–1875), Greek-Italian playwright, novelist, poet, translator
* Melissa Panarello (born 1985), erotic novelist
* Valeria Parrella (born 1974), novelist, short story writer, playwright
* Nicoletta Pasquale (16th century), poet
* Jeanne Perego (born 1958), children's writer
* Sandra Petrignani (born 1952), journalist, short story writer, novelist
* Giulietta Pezzi (1810–1878), poet, novelist, playwright
* Fernanda Pivano (1917–2009), journalist, biographer, critic, translator
* Christine de Pizan (1364–c. 1430), courtly poet, wrote in French
* Antonia Pozzi (1912–1938), poet, diarist, translator
* Antonia Tanini Pulci (1452/54–1501), early playwright

## R

* Fabrizia Ramondino (1936–2008), novelist
* Lidia Ravera (born 1951), journalist, novelist, essayist, screenwriter
* Marina Ripa Di Meana (1941–2018), autobiographical novelist
* Eugenia Romanelli (born 1972), author, journalist
* Lalla Romano (1906–2001), novelist, poet, journalist

## S

* Diodata Saluzzo Roero (1774–1840), poet, novelist
* Sara Santoro Bianchi (1950–2016), archaeologist and classical scholar
* Maria Antonia Scalera Stellini (1634–1704), poet, playwright
* Michela Schiff Giorgini (1923–1978), Egyptologist, non-fiction writer
* Matilde Serao (1856–1927), Greek-born Italian journalist, novelist
* Clara Sereni (1946–2018), autobiographical literature
* Ippolita Maria Sforza (1446–1484), letter writer, poet
* Gabriella Sica (born 1950), poet
* Maria Luisa Spaziani (1923–2014), poet, translator, academic writer
* Gaspara Stampa (1523–1554), Renaissance poet
* Sara Copia Sullam (1592–1641), poet

## T

* Susanna Tamaro (born 1957), novelist, children's writer
* Clotilde Tambroni (1758–1817), philologist, poet
* Virginia Tango Piatti (1869–1958), writer and pacifist
* Laura Terracina (1519–c. 1577), poet
* Maria Tore Barbina (1940–2007), poet, translator
* Maria Antonietta Torriani (1840–1920), journalist, novelist; pen name "Marchesa Colombi"
* Lucrezia Tornabuoni (1425–1482), poet
* Cristina Trivulzio di Belgiojoso (1808–1871), non-fiction writer, journalist
* Licia Troisi (born 1980), fantasy novelist

## V

* Patrizia Valduga (born 1953), poet, translator
* Maria Valtorta (1897–1961), poet, mystic
* Ida Vassalini (1891–1953), poet, philosopher
* Angela Veronese (1778–1847), poet
* Grazia Verasani (born 1964), crime writer
* Simona Vinci (born 1970), novelist, children's writer
* Patrizia Vicinelli (1943–1991), poet, actress
* Mitì Vigliero Lami (born 1957), journalist, poet, essayist, humorist
* Isabella Vincentini (born 1954), poet, essayist, critic
* Annie Vivanti (1866–1942), novelist, short story writer, playwright

## Z

* Paola Zancani Montuoro (1901–1987), Italian archaeologist, writer and editor
* Giovanna Zangrandi (1910–1988), novelist
* Luisa Zeni (1896–1940), secret agent, writer