5 Female Authors Who Used Male Pen Names

Feminism has come a long way since the 19th century, but women were still not taken seriously as writers. The gender bias in the literary world meant that female authors often had to resort to using male pen names to advance their careers. Here are five of these remarkable female authors who broke through the gender barriers and left a lasting legacy in literature.

1. Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott is best known for her novel Little Women, which was published in 1868. However, before she gained fame for her children’s books, she wrote sensational stories under the pen name A.M. Barnard. These stories were published in magazines and provided her with much-needed income. Alcott used the pen name to hide her identity and avoid the stigma associated with writing such stories.

2. George Eliot

Mary Anne Evans was an English writer who lived in the 19th century. She wrote under the pen name George Eliot and is best known for her novels Middlemarch and Silas Marner. Eliot chose to use a male pen name to avoid being judged as a woman and to be taken more seriously as a writer. She was successful in her efforts as her novels are still widely read and admired today.

3. The Bronte sisters

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte, the three famous sisters, wrote under the pen names Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, respectively. The sisters used male pen names to avoid the bias against women writers and to increase their chances of getting published. They were successful in their efforts, and their novels, including Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, remain classics to this day.

4. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is best known for her novel Frankenstein, which was published in 1818. She wrote under the pen name Mary Shelley to avoid being associated with her father, the radical philosopher William Godwin. Mary Shelley’s writing was ahead of its time, and her novel remains a timeless classic that is still widely read today.

5. Joanne Rowling

Joanne Rowling, better known as J.K. Rowling, is the author of the Harry Potter series. She used the initials J.K. as her pen name to make her books appealing to both boys and girls. Rowling’s writing was groundbreaking, and she broke through the gender barriers by becoming one of the best-selling authors of all time.

Also read : 7 Novels With Memorable Female Characters

Female authors have faced many challenges throughout history. However, these five remarkable women broke through the gender barriers and left a lasting legacy in literature. They used male pen names to advance their writing careers, but their talent and creativity proved to be their greatest asset. Their writing continues to inspire generations of writers and readers alike.