This is a list of women writers who were born in Norway or whose writings are closely associated with the country.
A Anne Lise Aas (1925–2020), interior designer and journal editor Kristine Aas (1793–1863), writer and painter Anna Caspari Agerholt (1892–1943), women's rights activist, writer and educator, covered the history of the Norwegian women's movement Astrid Hjertenæs Andersen (1915–1985), early modernist poet, travel writer Ella Anker (1870–1958), journalist, playwright, pamphleteer Nini Roll Anker (1873–1942), prolific realistic novelist, playwright Ingeborg Arvola (born 1974), novelist, children's writer Elise Aubert (1837–1909), novelist, short story writer, non-fiction writer
B Irene Ibsen Bille (1901–1985), novelist, playwright Inger Bråtveit (born 1978), novelist, children's writer Toril Brekke (born 1949), novelist, short story writer, children's writer, works on women's rights Hanne Bramness (born 1959), poet Gerd Brantenberg (born 1941), novelist, dramatist, feminist Elin Brodin (born 1963), novelist Magdalene Sophie Buchholm (1758–1825), poet, only acknowledged women writer of her times
C Camilla Carlson (1930–1990), poet, novelist, critic Solveig Christov (1918–1984), novelist, short story writer, playwright Camilla Collett (1813–1895), novelist, feminist essayist Marie Colban (1814–1884), novelist, short story writer
D Gro Dahle (born 1962), poet, children's writer Ingri d'Aulaire (1904–1980), English-language children's writer, together with husband Edgar Parin d'Aulaire Elisabeth Dored (1813–1895), novelist, author of I Loved Tiberius set in ancient Rome Conradine Birgitte Dunker (1780–1866), memoirist Astrid Sverresdotter Dypvik (born 1977), journalist, historian, non-fiction writer
E Clara Thue Ebbell (1880–1971), young adult writer, biographer, feminist Marit Eikemo (born 1971), essayist, novelist, journalist, magazine editor Ellen Einan (1931–2013), poet, illustrator Rawdna Carita Eira (born 1970), Norwegian and Sámi playwright, short story writer Anne Karin Elstad (1938–2012), author of best-selling novels, including the four-part series on Julie Magli Elster (1912–1993), poet, literary critic Dorothe Engelbretsdatter (1634–1716), poet, Norway's first female author
F Karin Fossum (born 1954), widely translated crime fiction writer, known as the "Norwegian queen of crime"
G Ågot Gjems-Selmer (1858–1926), writer of works on family life, children's writer Beate Grimsrud (1963–2020), novelist, playwright, children's writer
H Magnhild Haalke (1885–1984), widely recognized author of 30 works, mainly novels Ingeborg Refling Hagen (1895–1989), prolific novelist, children's writer, poet Inger Hagerup (1905–1985), poet, dramatist, anti-Nazi writings Marie Hamsun (1881–1969), actress, poet, children's writer, some works translated into English Lillemor von Hanno (1900–1984), actress, novelist, playwright Inger Elisabeth Hansen (born 1950), poet Ebba Haslund (1917–2009), novelist, short story writer, playwright, essayist, critic, author of Nothing Happened Torill Thorstad Hauger (1943–2014), non-fiction writer, children's writer Tone Hellesund (born 1967), non-fiction writer specializing in gender studies Vera Henriksen (1927–2016), historical novelist, playwright, non-fiction writer Vigdis Hjorth (born 1959), novelist, children's writer Tone Hødnebø (born 1962), poet Gunvor Hofmo (1921–1995), influential modernist poet Anne Holt (born 1958), best-selling, widely translated crime writer Åsta Holth (1904–1999), novelist, poet, short story writer Aslaug Høydal (1916–2007), novelist, poet, children's writer, educator Ida Hegazi Høyer (born 1981), novelist
J Anna Jacobsen (1924–2004), Norwegian Sami writer, translator and publisher Caroline Schytte Jensen (1848–1935), songwriter, composer Margaret Johansen (1923–2013), novelist, short story writer, feminist Ragnhild Jølsen (1875–1908), reactionary writer, works on conflicts between rural society and industrial communities Lizzie Juvkam (1883–1869), novelist
K Mette Karlsvik (born 1978), journalist, novelist Mahmona Khan (born 1973), Pakistani-Norwegian journalist, non-fiction writer Gustava Kielland (1800–1889), songwriter, memoirist Liv Køltzow (1945–2025), novelist, playwright, essayist, feminist writer Christiane Koren (1764–1815), poet, playwright, diarist
L Sissel Lange-Nielsen (1931–2023), novelist, critic, journalist Britt Karin Larsen (born 1945), poet, novelist, works tracing the Romany people in Norway Trude Brænne Larssen (born 1967), novelist Marita Liabø (born 1971), novelist Tove Lie (1942–2000), poet Sofie Aubert Lindbæk (1875–1953), novelist, critic, educator Unni Lindell (born 1957), crime fiction writer, children's writer Hilde Lindset (born 1978), short story writer, educator Merethe Lindstrøm (born 1963), novelist, short story writer Antonie Løchen (1850–1933), children's short story writer and women's rights activist Cecilie Løveid (born 1951), playwright, children's writer, poem on Breivik Bente Lyon
M
Ragnhild Magerøy (1920–2010), historical novelist, author of the Gunhild trilogy on 19th-century rural society Trude Marstein (born 1973), novelist, essayist, some works translated into English Karin Moe (born 1945), poet, prose writer, critic Toril Moi (born 1953), academic works on women's writing, feminism, now based in the United States Anna Munch (1856–1932), novelist and playwright Dagne Groven Myhren (1940–2024), Norwegian literature researcher, folklorist Marit Myrvoll (born 1953), Sami social anthropologist, museum director
N Marja Bål Nango (born 1988), Norwegian Sami film director and screenwriter Torborg Nedreaas (1906–1987), short story writer, novelist, playwright, evoking class differences Åse-Marie Nesse (1934–2001) philologist, poet Tove Nilsen (born 1952), novelist, children's writer, critic Anne-Pia Nygård (born 1977), autobiography in Nynorsk
O Hanne Ørstavik (born 1969), novelist Sara Margrethe Oskal (born 1970), Sami writer, actress, film director Mari Osmundsen (born 1951), pen-name of Anne Kristine Halling, novelist, children's writer Sissel Benneche Osvold (born 1945), journalist Gunnhild Øyehaug (born 1975), poet, short story writer
P Synnøve Persen (born 1950), Sami poet, biographer, artist Helvi Poutasuo (1943–2017), Finnish Sami teacher, translator and newspaper editor
R
Anne B. Ragde (born 1957), novelist, children's writer, crime fiction writer, author of Berlin Poplars Eva Ramm (1925–2026), psychologist, essayist, novelist, children's writer Juliane Rui (born 1982), poet
S Wera Sæther (born 1945) psychologist, poet, novelist, essayist, children's writer Cora Sandel (1880–1974), short story writer, novelist, painter, author of the Alberta Trilogy Mathilde Schjøtt (1844–1926), non-fiction writer, critic, biographer, feminist Constance Wiel Schram (1890–1955), non-fiction writer, biographer, translator, feminist Åsne Seierstad (born 1970), journalist, non-fiction works including The Bookseller of Kabul Solfrid Sivertsen (born 1947), librarian, poet, novelist, children's writer Sarita Skagnes (born 1969), Indian-born women's activist, memoirist Amalie Skram (1846–1905), short story writer, novelist, feminist Kirsten Sødal (1935–2022), children's writer Kristin Solberg (born 1982), journalist, television reporter Kjersti Løken Stavrum (born 1969), journalist, editor, secretary general of the Norwegian Press Association Grethe Fatima Syéd (born 1968), literary scholar and novelist
T
Marie Takvam (1926–2008), poet, novelist, children's writer, actress Magdalene Thoresen (1819–1903), Danish-born Norwegian poet, short story writer, playwright Astrid Tollefsen (1897–1973), poet, lyricist Aadel Brun Tschudi (1909–1980), Chinese-born Norwegian geographer, sinologist Marit Tusvik (born 1951), poet, children's writer, playwright
U Linn Ullmann (born 1966), journalist, novelist
V Aslaug Vaa (1889–1965), poet, playwright Halldis Moren Vesaas (1907–1995), poet, children's writer, depictions of women's life Anne-Catharina Vestly (1920–2008), popular children's writer, widely translated Bjørg Vik (1935–2018), novelist, dramatist, feminist writer, some works translated into English
W Torild Wardenær (born 1951), poet, playwright Herbjørg Wassmo (born 1942), poet, novelist Elisabeth Welhaven (1815–1901), salonist, short story writer Marie Wexelsen (1832–1911), poet, children's writer, novelist, hymnist
References
See also List of Norwegian writers List of women writers