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.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

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

See also

• List of Italian writers
• List of women writers
• List of Italian-American women writers

External links

• Italian Women Writers database from the University of Chicago