List of women writers (M–Z)

See also Lists of women writers by nationality. This is a list of notable women writers.

Abbreviations: b. (born), c. (circa), ch. (children's), col. (columnist), es. (essayist), fl. (flourished), Hc. (Holocaust), mem. (memoirist), non-f. (non-fiction), nv. (novelist), pw. (playwright), wr. (writer), TV (television), YA (young adults')

M

Ma–Mc Rozena Maart (b. 1962, South Africa), poet & fiction wr. in English Sharon Maas (b. 1951, Guyana/England), nv. Catherine Maberly (1805–1875, Ireland/England), fiction & non-f. wr. Lindiwe Mabuza (1938–2021, South Africa), poet & academic Aifric Mac Aodha (b. 1979, Ireland), poet Dorothy Macardle (1889–1958, Ireland), nv., pw. & historian Bridget G. MacCarthy (1904–1993, Ireland), wr. & academic Ethna MacCarthy (1903–1959, Ireland), poet & pediatrician Mary Stanislaus MacCarthy (1849–1897, Ireland), poet, educator & nun Rose Macaulay (1881–1958, England), wr. Maria Antonietta Macciocchi (1922–2007, Italy), wr. & politician Doireann MacDermott (1923–2024, Ireland), wr. & philologist Ann-Marie MacDonald (b. 1958, Canada/Newfoundland), nv., pw. & actor Betty MacDonald (1908–1958, United States), wr. Charlotte Macdonald (living, New Zealand), historian Elizabeth Roberts MacDonald (1864–1922, Canada) poet, ch. wr., ss. wr. & non-f. wr. Helen Macdonald (b. 1970, England), wr., naturalist & academic Muriel Irwin MacDonald (1867-1918, Canada/United States), non.f. wr., jrnl., ed. Lilou Macé (b. 1977, France/United States), wr. Mirta Macedo (1939–2012, Uruguay), social wr. Gwendolyn MacEwen (1941–1987, Canada/Newfoundland), nv. & poet Rebecca Macfie (living, New Zealand), non-f. wr. & col. Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye (1928–2015, England/Kenya), poet & nv. Ana Maria Machado (b. 1941, Brazil), ch. wr. Gilka Machado (1893–1980, Brazil), poet & activist Maria Clara Machado (1921–2001, Brazil), pw. & ch. wr. Dorothea Macheiner (b. 1943, Austria/Austria-Hungary), nv., poet & pw. Elisabeth MacIntyre (1916–2004, Australia), ch. wr. Louise Mack (1870–1935, Australia), poet & nv. Catherine Julia Mackay (1864–1944, New Zealand), cookery wr. Jessie Mackay (1864–1938, New Zealand), poet & animal rights activist Margaret Mackay (1802–1887, Scotland), wr. & hymn wr. Shena Mackay (b. 1944, Scotland), nv. Dorothea Mackellar (1885–1968, Australia), poet & fiction wr. Anna Mackenzie (b. 1963, New Zealand), fiction & YA wr. Serena Mackesy (b. 1960s, England), nv. Mary Mackey (b. 1945, United States), nv., poet & academic Mary Mackie (b. early 1940s, England), fiction & non-f. wr. Marisa Mackle (b. c. 1973, Ireland), nv. & ch. wr. Patricia MacLachlan (1938–2022, United States), ch. nv. Mary MacLane (1881–1929, Canada/Newfoundland/United States), wr. Hester Maclean (1859–1932, Australia/New Zealand), nursing wr. & autobiographer Charlotte MacLeod (1922–2005, Canada/Newfoundland/United States), nv. & mystery wr. Della Campbell MacLeod (ca. 1884 – ?, United States), fiction & non-f. wr. Eleanor MacMahon (1864–1956, Ireland/England), nv. Kathleen MacMahon (living, Ireland), wr. & broadcaster Sarah Broom Macnaughtan (1864–1916, Scotland), nv. Máire MacNeill (1904–1987, Ireland), folklorist Debbie Macomber (b. 1948, United States), nv. Myra MacPherson (1934–2026, United States), non-f. wr. Katharine Sarah Macquoid (1824–1917, England), nv. & travel wr. Rina Macrelli (1929–2020, Italy), screenwriter & es. Catherine Mary MacSorley (1848–1929, Ireland), YA & religious wr. Marie MacSweeney (living, Ireland), poet & fiction wr. Okky Madasari (b. 1984, Indonesia), nv., es. & ch. wr. Deirdre Madden (b. 1960, Ireland), nv. Jane Madders (c. 1909–1990, Britain), non-f. wr. Heidrun E. Mader (b. 1977, Germany), non-fiction Ruth Mader (b. 1974, Austria/Austria-Hungary), screenwriter Naomi Long Madgett (1923–2020, United States), poet Malika Madi (b. 1967, Belgium), nv. in French Maga Magazinović (1882–1968, Serbia), wr. Perihan Mağden (b. 1960, Turkey/Ottoman Empire), nv. Audrey Magee (living, Ireland), nv. Melba Padilla Maggay (b. 1950, Philippines), wr. & social anthropologist Kellie Magnus (b. 1970, Jamaica), ch. & parenting wr. Guðrún Kristín Magnúsdóttir (b. 1939, Iceland), ch. & nature wr. Þórunn Elfa Magnúsdóttir (1910–1995, Iceland), nv. Sindiwe Magona (b. 1943, South Africa), fiction wr. & autobiographer in English Nilah Magruder (living, United States), wr. Akka Mahadevi (c. 1130–1160, India), poet Sabrina Mahfouz (living, England), poet & pw Han Mahlsook (한말숙, b. 1931, Korea), nv. Bríd Mahon (1922–2008, Ireland), nv. & folklorist Florence Mahoney (b. 1929, Gambia), wr. & historian Mahsati Ganjavi (c. 1089 – post-1159, Iran/Persia), poet Margaret Mahy (1936–2012, New Zealand), ch. & YA wr. Circe Maia (b. 1939, Uruguay), poet & es. Jennifer Maiden (b. 1949, Australia), poet Ruth Maier (1920–1942, Austria/Austria-Hungary), diarist & Hc. victim Chantal Maillard (b. 1951, Spain), poet & philosopher Ella Maillart (1903–1997, Switzerland), travel wr. in French Antonine Maillet (1929–2025, Canada/Newfoundland), nv., pw. & scholar Barbara York Main (1929–2019, Australia), arachnologist Marie Majerová (1882–1967, Austria/Austria-Hungary/Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic), fiction wr. Marianne Majerus (b. 1956, Luxembourg), garden wr. Clementina Laura Majocchi (1866–1945, Italy), poet & wr. Maria Majocchi (1864–1917, Italy), wr. & poet Flóra Majthényi (1837–1915, Hungary), wr. & poet Megha Majumdar (b. 1987/1988, India), nv. Tilottama Majumdar (b. 1966, India), fiction wr., poet & es. Svetlana Makarovič (b. 1939, Yugoslavia/Slovenia), poet & YA wr. Jean Said Makdisi (b. 1940, Palestine), non-f. wr. Barbara Makhalisa (b. 1949, Zimbabwe), nv. & editor Anju Makhija (living, India/Canada/Newfoundland), poet, pw. & col. Angela Makholwa (living, South Africa), fiction wr. Miyako Maki (牧美也子, b. 1935, Japan), manga creator Eudokia Makrembolitissa (c. 1021–1096, Byzantium), poet in Greek & empress Desanka Maksimović (1898–1993, Serbia), poet Rima Maktabi (b. 1977, Lebanon), col. Ad Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (b. 1960s, Uganda), fiction wr. Ana María Llona Málaga (b. 1936, Peru), poet Ezza Agha Malak (b. 1942, Lebanon/France), nv., poet & critic Natalia Malakhovskaia (b. 1948, Soviet Union/Austria/Austria-Hungary), feminist wr. Battista Malatesta (c. 1384–1448, Italy), poet Geneviève-Françoise Randon de Malboissière (1746–1766, France), poet, pw. & naturalist Emilie Monson Malcolm (c. 1830–1905, England/New Zealand), domestic wr. Wanda Malecka (1800–1860, Poland), poet & nv. Rosie Malek-Yonan (b. 1965, Assyria), nv. & actor Oriel Malet (Lady Auriel Rosemary Malet Vaughan, 1923–2014, England), nv. & biographer Amita Malik (1921–2009, India), critic Nicole Malinconi (b. 1946, Belgium), fiction wr. in French Gitta Mallasz (1907–1992, Hungary), wr. of dialogues Ana Caro de Mallén (1590–1646, Spain), poet & pw. Nathalie Mallet (living, Canada/Newfoundland), science fiction & fantasy wr. Françoise Mallet-Joris (1930–2016, Belgium), nv. & es. in French Heather Mallick (b. 1959, Canada/Newfoundland), col., wr. & lecturer Clare Mallory (1913–1991, New Zealand), ch. wr. Bodil Malmsten (1944–2016, Sweden), poet & nv. Alicia Malone (b. 1981, Australia), non-f. wr. Amina Mama (b. 1958, Scotland/Nigeria), social wr. Tatiana Mamonova (b. 1943, Soviet Union/Russia), poet & politician Angela Manalang-Gloria (1907–1995, Philippines), poet in English Becky Manawatu (b. 1982, New Zealand), nv. & col. Laura Beatrice Mancini (1821–1969, Italy), poet Emily St. John Mandel (b. 1979, Canada/Newfoundland), nv. Lisa Mandel (b. 1977, France), comics book wr. Zindzi Mandela (1960–2020, South Africa), poet Nadezhda Mandelstam (1899–1980, Russia/Soviet Union), mem. Jane Mander (1887–1949, New Zealand/England), nv. & col. Slavka Maneva (1934–2010, Yugoslavia/North Macedonia), ch. wr. & poet Edda Manga (b. 1969, Sweden), historian of ideas Richmal Mangnall (1769–1820, England), schoolbook wr. Anne Marie Mangor (1781–1865, Denmark), cookery wr. Rani Manicka (living, Malaysia/England), nv. Salmi Manja (1937–2023, Malaysia), fiction wr. Irshad Manji (b. 1968, Uganda/United States), religious wr. Delarivier Manley (c. 1670–1724, England), nv., pw. & pamphleteer Edna Manley (1900–1987, England/Jamaica), sculptor & diarist Rachel Manley (b. 1955, Jamaica/Canada/Newfoundland), poet & fiction wr. Alana Mann (fl. 2000s, Australia), wr. on food Erika Mann (1905–1969, Germany), wr., screenwriter & actor María Emma Mannarelli (b. 1954, Peru), non-f. wr., historian, professor Eeva-Liisa Manner (1921–1995, Finland), poet & pw. Catherine Gray, Lady Manners (1766–1852, Ireland/England), poet Emily Manning (Australie, 1845–1890, Australia), poet & col. Mary Manning (1905–1999, Ireland/United States), nv., pw. & critic Olivia Manning (1908–1980, England), nv. Ruth Manning-Sanders (1886–1988, Wales/England), poet, wr. & ch. wr. Kiran Manral (b. 1971, India), nv. & parenting wr. Chris Mansell (b. 1953, Australia), poet Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923, New Zealand/England), fiction wr. Eduarda Mansilla (1834–1892, Argentina), nv., pw. & critic Fadhma Aït Mansour (c. 1882–1967, Algeria), poet & singer Joyce Mansour (1928–1986, Egypt/France), poet & prose wr. Latifa Ben Mansour (b. 1950, Algeria/France), nv., linguist & psychoanalyst Alicia Catherine Mant (1788–1869, England/Ireland), ch. wr. Lisa Mantchev (living, United States), fantasy nv. Hilary Mantel (1952—2022, England), fiction wr., mem. & es.; Wolf Hall Réka Mán-Várhegyi (b. 1979, Russia/Hungary), fiction & ch. wr. Sarah Ladipo Manyika (b. 1968, Nigeria/England), fiction wr. & es. Gianna Manzini (1896–1974, Italy), fiction wr. Mokbula Manzoor (1938–2020, India/Bangladesh), nv. & wr. Lee Maracle (1950–2021, Canada/Newfoundland), poet, nv. & storyteller Carmen Marai (Carmen María Bassa Rodríguez, living, Chile), poet & nv. Dacia Maraini (b. 1936, Italy), nv., pw. & poet Faustina Maratti (c. 1679–1745, Italy), poet & painter Maria Mercè Marçal (1952–1998, Spain), poet & wr. in Catalan Jane Marcet (1769–1858, England), salonnière & popular science wr. Melina Marchetta (b. 1965, Australia), nv. Andrea Marcolongo (b. 1987, Italy), es. & wr. Emilie Maresse-Paul (1838–1900, Trinidad), feminist Inés Marful (b. 1961, Spain), nv. & literature wr. Anna Margolin (1887–1952, Russia/United States), Yiddish poet Silvana De Mari (b. 1953, Italy), nv. Juliet Marillier (b. 1948, New Zealand/Australia), nv. & YA writer Guadalupe Marín (1895–1983, Mexico), nv. & model Katarina Marinčič (b. 1968, Slovenia), fiction wr. & literary historian Lucrezia Marinella (1571–1653, Italy), poet & wr. Alexandra Marinina (b. 1957, Soviet Union/Russia), fiction wr. María Mariño (1907–1967, Spain), wr. Kamala Markandaya (1924–2004, India), nv. Beryl Markham (1902–1986, England/Kenya), aviator & wr. Liza Marklund (b. 1962, Sweden), nv. Maria Markova (b. 1982, Soviet Union/Russia), poet Daphne Marlatt (b. 1942, Canada/Newfoundland), poet Olga Marlin (1934–2025, United States/Kenya), autobiographer E. Marlitt (1825–1887, Germany), nv. Nilgün Marmara (1958–1987, Turkey/Ottoman Empire), poet Jeanne Marni (1854–1910, France), nv. & pw. Monika Maron (b. 1941, Germany), es. & political wr. Leïla Marouane (b. 1960, Algeria/France), nv. Ana Marija Marović (1815–1887, Serbia), poet & painter Susan Lowndes Marques (1907–1993, England/Portugal), travel wr. Anne de Marquets (b. c. 1533–1588, France), poet & nun Manuela Antonia Márquez García-Saavedra (1844–1890, Peru), wr., poet Paula Contreras Márquez (1911–2008, Spain), nv. & wr. Paz Márquez-Benítez (1894–1983, Philippines), fiction wr. & editor Ellen Marriage (1865–1946, England), translator Janice Marriott (b. 1946, England/New Zealand), ch. & YA wr., poet & gardener Ngaio Marsh (1895–1982, New Zealand), mystery wr. Selina Tusitala Marsh (b. 1971, New Zealand), poet & academic Catherine Marshall (1914–1983, United States), nonfiction & fiction wr. Paule Marshall (1929–2019, United States), nv. Una Marson (1905–1965, Jamaica), radio producer & poet