List of Italian women writers

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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 1955), 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
• Costanza d'Avalos Piccolomini (died 1560), poet

B

• Ida Baccini (1850–1911), children's writer
• 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 (born 1921), novelist, short story writer, translator
• Alberta Bigagli (born 1928), poet
• Margarita Bobba (16th century), poet
• Catherine of Bologna (1413–1463), religious writer, saint
• Simona Bonafè (born 1973), journalist, politician
• Maria Selvaggia Borghini (1656–1731), poet, translator

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 y Bertini (1911–1997), journalist, novelist
• Maria Chessa Lai (born 1922), Catalan poet from Sardinia
• Fausta Cialente (1898–1994), novelist
• Vittoria Colonna (1492–1547), popular 16th-century poet
• Danila Comastri Montanari (born 1948), novelist
• Cristina Comencini (born 1956), novelist, film director
• Margherita Costa (17th century), poet, songwriter
• Maria Corti (1915–2002), philologist, critic, novelist

D

• Arianna Dagnino (born 1963), journalist, non-fiction writer
• 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 (born 1946), 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
• Amalia Guglielminetti (1881–1941), poet, letter writer
• Margherita Guidacci (1921–1992), poet, translator

J

• Fleur Jaeggy (born 1940), Swiss-born Italian-language novelist
• Simonetta Lein (born 1983), novelist, fashion writer

M

• Maria-Antonietta Macciocchi (1922–2007), journalist, non-fiction writer
• Alessandra Macinghi (1406–1471), letter writer
• 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
• 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,
• Diamante Medaglia Faini (1724–1770), poet, madrigal composer
• Alda Merini (1931–2009), revered poet
• Maria Montessori (1870–1952), educational writer
• Giuliana Morandini (born 1938), 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 (born 1934), 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
• 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 (born 1941), autobiographical novelist
• Lalla Romano (1906–2001), novelist, poet, journalist

S

• Diodata Saluzzo Roero (1774–1840), poet, novelist
• Patrizia Sanvitale (born 1951), journalist, novelist
• Maria Antonia Scalera Stellini (1634–1704), poet, playwright
• Matilde Serao (1856–1927), Greek-born Italian journalist, novelist
• Clara Sereni (born 1946), 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
• Laura Terracina (1519 – c. 1577), poet
• Maria Tore Barbina (1940–2007), poet, translator
• 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
• 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

• 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