Female Writers Throughout History

Female Writers Throughout History

Translated by Elisavet Kechagia

based on the original article in Greek by Stefi Raskova

What would life be without literature? Unbearably boring for sure! Books transfer us to other times, places, or even entirely different worlds.  This article aims to talk about four female writers that even though are worlds apart, share the same passion for writing.

Sappho

She was an ancient Greek poet born in Lesvos in 7th century B.C. Her spontaneity and erotic intensity immediately made her stand out, with many of her contemporaries and modern people alike praising her spirit and addressing her as the female Homer; Plato considered her the tenth Muse. Very few of her works have survived, and in most  cases it is but a few words, or stanzas. The severe criticism on behalf of the church and the lack of demand on her work are to be held accountable for this. Her most popular poems are Hymn to Aphrodite and Sappho’s Fragment 31. One thing is certain: her lyricism and  innovative description of the effect passion has on the human body made her stand out and a whole readership to adore her, while astronomers have named an asteroid after her: 80 Sappho. 

With his venom

 irresistible and bittersweet,

 that loosener of limbs, Love

Reptile-like strikes me down.

Agatha Christie

She was one of the most famous English writers and undoubtedly a master of detective novels, with Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple enjoying worldwide fame even today. The so-called Queen of Crime was not immune to mysteries, being involved in one herself: she was reported missing from December 3rd to 14th in 1926. When the police found her, she couldn’t recollect anything on the matter. In 2007, Brian Aldis said that Agatha would write the books to the last chapter, and then make all necessary changes in order to frame the least likely suspect. 

Many of her books have been transferred to the big screen, such as Crime on the Orient Express. Apart from being a writer, she was a screenwriter and a nurse. 

An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her.

Toni Morrison (Chloe Anthony Wofford) 

Recently deceased, she was an American writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 and counts a Pulitzer Prize among her many distinctions. Her writing career began in 1970 when she won over the readers and received good reviews. She was a college professor, a librettist, the first black female editor in fiction at Random House, New York and also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon brought her national attention, but what truly set her apart was her powerful words and dialogues, alongside the poetic and expressive depiction of Black America.

In this country, American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.

J.K. Rowling 

A favourite to many, she is the English writer who wrote Harry Potter at a coffee shop, what would later become a trend, and after many rejections managed not only to publish her books, but also conquer the worldwide market.  As far as the books are concerned, over 350 million copies have been sold all over the world and translated into 67 languages, receiving great many awards. Her work is influenced by George Elliott, Emily Brontè and Stephen King. Apart from being a writer, she is a teacher, producer and screenwriter. Some of the distinctions she has received are Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth herself, and an honorary degree from the university of Harvard in 2008.

She is the first writer to earn more than a billion from book writing alone, and also the first to exit the billionaire list due to her charity work. The Publishing House that she collaborates with, Bloomsbury, forced her to write under the name J.K. Rowling for fear that boys wouldn’t read fiction written by a woman. What is more, she writes detective novels under the alias Robert Galbraith. 

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