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.

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