First 10 Female Authors Who Emerged As Global Celebrity
The pen is mightier than the sword. Even though we respect the power of pen in politics, protests, social change, and examinations, most of us are sceptic about the power of pen in bringing economic changes. Though pen can bring forth strong movements, it is not potent enough to give food to someone. We cannot really ignore this belief system, because earning by writing alone can be really challenging, especially because the work we do as authors, require our mental involvement, which is subjective to time and attention. Hence every piece of literary work takes long for completion, and then comes the task of convincing others to buy your work. The entire process in very less rewarding; publishers who are stakeholders to your book, want to keep maximum profits to themselves, hence the money you bring home is a small amount. Unless you are a bestseller writer, or you are writing hundreds at a time, the earning amount can be insignificant for a writer. New authors often give up on their dreams and resort to other things because they cannot make a living out of writing. But luckily, things are changing. Approach towards books and authors are changing in the world of self-publishing. Self-publishing in India as well as other parts of the world, is becoming common place. New writers are finding new avenues to pursue their dream. In such a scenario, it is ideal to recall prominent figures in history, especially women, who had made their name in the writing industry.
Here are 10 women writers who became global celebrities-
- Aphra Behn– She is believed to be the first woman writer to make a living out of writing. Even though most of her live events are speculated, from the little we know, she had an unusual and eventful life. She visited Surinam early in life, where she had an affair with William Scott, but later upon returning to England, perhaps she had married someone called Mr. Behn. She became a widow and penniless by 1665, when she had to take up the job of a spy for the Crown. Then she was thrown into debtor’s prison, but after she emerged from there, she made her living by writing plays and novels for the London Theatre. Her best-known work is the Oroonoko or the Royal Slave (1688).
- Fanny Burney– Lived from 1752-1840. Burney’s novels were extremely popular during the 18th Her novel Evelina (1778) won her huge success, and also approval from her father and a writer critic Samuel Johnson. Camilla or Cecilia earned her global fame among Victorian writers.
- Malati Vishram Bedekar– She was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra India, who can be believed to be one of the first woman writers of the country. She lived from 1905- 2001. She is a prominent feminist writer of Marathi literature also known by pseudonym Vibhavari Shirurkar. She wrote a semi-biographical novel after her father, named She had worked as a teacher and coordinator for the British Government. She wrote short stories and plays as well. Her most effective novel is Bali, which is based on her three-years’ observation of the harsh lives of criminal tribes under British rule. Authors who want to pursue self-publishing in India can take inspiration from this great woman who changed the meanings of humanity and feminism in old India.
- Elizabeth Carter– She lived from 1717- 1806. She was known for her translations, poetry, essays and letter writings. A Series of Letters between Mrs. Elizabeth Carter and Miss Catherine Talbot, from the Year 1741 to 1770: To Which Are Added, Letters from Mrs. Elizabeth Carter to Mrs. Vesey, between the Years 1763 and 1787, were later published from the possession of Rev. Montagu Pennington.
- Mary Masters – Not a great deal is known about Mary Masters. According to James Boswell, she was acquainted with Samuel Johnson, who may have helped to edit some of her verses. She is also linked with Edmund Cave, editor of Gentleman’s Magazine. She advocates women’s rights in her Familiar Letters and Poems on Several Occasions (1755): “a Woman is equal to a Man, as being of the same Species, and endow’d with every Faculty which distinguishes him from the Brutes.” She was an incredible personality in the world of writing, based on the time she belonged to.
- Lalithambika Antharjanam– Born on March 30th 1909, she is an Indian author best known for her works in Malayalam language. Her published oeuvre consists of nine volumes of short stories, six collections of poems, two books for children, and a novel, Agnisakshi(1976) which won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977. Her autobiography Aathmakadhakkoru Aamukham (An Introduction to Autobiography) is also considered a significant work in Malayalam literature. Self-publishing in India can push woman writers towards a wider horizon in the global world, if their works match that of this great lady.
- Lady Mary Wortley Montagu– Lived during 1689-1762. Cousin of writer Henry Fielding, Mary was born in London to parents of the aristocracy. Her father, Evelyn Pierrepoint, later became the first Duke of Kingston. She eloped with Edward Wortley (1712) and the two became active in court. Through social activities, she made social contacts with several literary figures, including John Gay and Alexander Pope, although Pope later attacked her in print. From 1716 to 1718, her husband served as ambassador to Turkey, where Montagu wrote her Embassy Letters. At age 47, she shared an infatuation with Francesco Algarotti, a 24-year-old native Italian with literary promise. She moved to Italy to join Algarotti and, although their relationship cooled, remained on the Continent for the next twenty years. Montagu distributed her writings privately and was content not to publish avidly during her lifetime. With the exception of some anonymous articles and a pirated edition of her poetry, her letters, essays, and poems were published posthumously. In her works, she advocated higher education for women and, in turn, more political interest and involvement.
- Sarah Scott– Elder sister to writer Elizabeth Montagu, Scott grew up in a family that valued education. Scott was briefly, and apparently unhappily, married to a George Lewis Scott. After her family “rescued” her from the marriage, she went to live with Lady Barbara Montagu (unrelated) and began an active life of charity work and writing. She tried to start a “utopian community” with her sister, Elizabeth, and friends. Her novel, A Description of Millenium Hall, idealizes her utopian ideals. Her novels were published anonymously and sold quite well. Although they lost popularity in the nineteenth century, her work has recently been reprinted.
- Nalapat Balamani Amma– Also born in the year 1909 in India, she is a Malayalam poet. She was a prolific writer and was known as the “poetess of motherhood”. Amma (Mother), Muthassi (Grandmother), and Mazhuvinte Katha (The story of the Axe) were some of her well-known works. She was a recipient of many awards and honours, including the Padma Bhushan, Saraswati Samman, Sahitya Akademi Award, and Ezhuthachan Award.[3] She was the mother of the renowned writer Kamala Surayya.
- Mary Wollstonecraft– After spending a troubled childhood with an abusive father, Mary worked as a lady’s companion, a school mistress and a governess. Later she married and American businessman and attempted to kill herself when their relationship failed. She remarried and had another girl child named Mary, soon after which she died. Her daughter Mary Shelley, became the author of Frankenstein and Wollstonecraft herself became the proprietor or formulator of feminist theories. Wollstonecraft’s diversified writings include subjects such as education, travel, history, politics, and women’s rights. She is best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792).
