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Lesbian literature is a subgenre of literature addressing
lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with fema ...
themes. It includes poetry, plays, fiction addressing lesbian characters, and non-fiction about lesbian-interest topics. Fiction that falls into this category may be of any genre, such as historical fiction,
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
, fantasy, horror, and
romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...
.


Overview

Lesbian literature includes works by lesbian authors, as well as lesbian-themed works by heterosexual authors. Even works by lesbian writers that do not deal with lesbian themes are still often considered lesbian literature. Works by heterosexual writers which treat lesbian themes only in passing, on the other hand, are not often regarded as lesbian literature. The fundamental work of lesbian literature is the poetry of Sappho of Lesbos. From various ancient writings, historians have gathered that a group of young women were left in Sappho's charge for their instruction or cultural edification. Not much of Sappho's poetry remains, but that which does demonstrates the topics she wrote about: women's daily lives, their relationships, and rituals. She focused on the beauty of women and proclaimed her love for girls. Certain works have established historical or artistic importance, and the world of lesbian fiction continues to grow and change as time goes on. Until recently, contemporary lesbian literature has been centered around several small, exclusively lesbian presses, as well as online fandoms. However, since the new millennium began, many lesbian presses have branched out to include the works of trans men and women, gay and bisexual voices, and other queer works not represented by the mainstream press. Additionally, novels with lesbian themes and characters have become more accepted in mainstream publishing.


Early literature


Medieval Christian mysticism

The European Middle Ages lacked a specific term for lesbians, but medieval French texts, under the influence of the
Arabic literature Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from a ...
of the period, featured literary depictions of love and sexual desire between women. Such expressions are found in devotional texts to the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
or the
hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies might ...
of Ida Louvain, by
Beguines The Beguines () and the Beghards () were Christian lay religious orders that were active in Western Europe, particularly in the Low Countries, in the 13th–16th centuries. Their members lived in semi-monastic communities but did not take form ...
, or the writings of female
Christian mystic Christian mysticism is the tradition of mystical practices and mystical theology within Christianity which "concerns the preparation f the personfor, the consciousness of, and the effect of ..a direct and transformative presence of God" ...
s, including Hildegarde of Bingen, Hadewijch,
Margery Kempe ' Margery Kempe ( – after 1438) was an English Christian mystic, known for writing through dictation '' The Book of Margery Kempe'', a work considered by some to be the first autobiography in the English language. Her book chronicles Kempe's d ...
,
Mechtild of Magdeburg Mechthild (or Mechtild, Matilda, Matelda) of Magdeburg (c. 1207 – c. 1282/1294), a Beguine, was a Christian medieval mystic, whose book ''Das fließende Licht der Gottheit'' (''The Flowing Light of Divinity'') is a compendium of visions, ...
, and
Marguerite Porete Marguerite Porete (; 13th century1 June 1310) was a French-speaking mystic and the author of ''The Mirror of Simple Souls'', a work of Christian mysticism dealing with the workings of agape (divine love). She was burnt at the stake for heresy in ...
.


19th century: forerunners

In the early 19th century, Chinese poet
Wu Tsao Wu Zao (; 1799–1862) was a Chinese poet. She was also known as Wu Pinxiang () and Yucenzi (). Background and career The daughter of a merchant, she was born in the town of Renhe (now Hangzhou) in Zhejiang province. She married a merchant name ...
gained popularity for her lesbian love poems. Her songs, according to poet
Kenneth Rexroth Kenneth Charles Marion Rexroth (1905–1982) was an American poet, translator, and critical essayist. He is regarded as a central figure in the San Francisco Renaissance, and paved the groundwork for the movement. Although he did not consider ...
, were "sung all over China". Though lesbian literature had not yet evolved as a distinct genre in English in the 19th century, lesbian writers like the essayist and supernatural fiction writer
Vernon Lee Vernon Lee was the pseudonym of the British writer Violet Paget (14 October 1856 – 13 February 1935). She is remembered today primarily for her supernatural fiction and her work on aesthetics. An early follower of Walter Pater, she wrote o ...
sometimes hinted at lesbian subtexts in their work or, like Lee's lover
Amy Levy Amy Judith Levy (10 November 1861 – 9 September 1889) was an English essayist, poet, and novelist best remembered for her literary gifts; her experience as the second Jewish woman at Cambridge University, and as the first Jewish student at N ...
, wrote love poems to women using the voice of a heterosexual man. Others wrote, but kept their writing secret. Beginning in 1806, English landowner and mountaineer
Anne Lister Anne Lister (3 April 1791 – 22 September 1840) was an English diarist, famous for revelations for which she was dubbed "the first modern lesbian". Lister was from a minor landowning family at Shibden in Calderdale, West Riding of Yorkshir ...
kept extensive diaries for 34 years, which included details of her lesbian relationships and seductions, with the lesbian sections written in secret
code In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...
. The diaries were not published until the 1980s. In 2010, they were the basis for a
BBC television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced t ...
production, ''
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister ''The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister'' is a 2010 British biographical historical drama film about 19th-century Yorkshire landowner Anne Lister. Made for television, the film was directed by James Kent and starred Maxine Peake as Lister. T ...
''. Twenty-first century writer and editor Susan Koppelman compiled an anthology titled ''Two Friends and Other 19th-century American Lesbian Stories: by American Women Writers'', which includes stories by
Constance Fenimore Woolson Constance Fenimore Woolson (March 5, 1840 – January 24, 1894) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. She was a grandniece of James Fenimore Cooper, and is best known for fictions about the Great Lakes region, the American ...
, Octave Thanet, Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman, Kate Chopin and
Sarah Orne Jewett Theodora Sarah Orne Jewett (September 3, 1849 – June 24, 1909) was an American novelist, short story writer and poet, best known for her local color works set along or near the southern coast of Maine. Jewett is recognized as an important ...
that were originally published in periodicals of their time. Of these stories, which range "from the explicit to inferentially lesbian", Koppelman said, "I recognize these stories as stories about women loving women in the variety of romantic ways that we wouldn't even have to struggle to define if we were talking about men and women loving each other." Since the 1970s, scholars of lesbian literature have analyzed as lesbian relationships that would not have been labeled as such in the 19th century due to different conceptions of intimacy and sexuality. For example,
Christina Rossetti Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English writer of romantic, devotional and children's poems, including " Goblin Market" and "Remember". She also wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in Bri ...
's 1862 poem "
Goblin Market ''Goblin Market'' (composed in April 1859 and published in 1862) is a narrative poem by Christina Rossetti. The poem tells the story of Laura and Lizzie who are tempted with fruit by goblin merchants. In a letter to her publisher, Rossetti clai ...
" has been widely read as a narrative of lesbianism, even though it attempts to paint itself as a narrative of sisterly love.The Literature of Lesbianism: A Historical Anthology from Ariosto to Stonewall. Ed. Terry Castle. New York: Columbia University Press 2003. Scholars have also seen lesbian potential in characters such as Marian Halcombe in
Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for '' The Woman in White'' (1859), a mystery novel and early "sensation novel", and for ''The Moonstone'' (1868), which has be ...
's 1859 novel '' The Woman in White''. Marian is described as masculine and unattractive, and her motivation throughout the story is her love for her half-sister, Laura Fairlie. Additionally, scholars have engaged in queer readings of the novels of
Charlotte Brontë Charlotte Brontë (, commonly ; 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature. She enlisted i ...
, particularly '' Shirley'' and '' Villette'', in which the female main characters engage in close or even obsessive relationships with other women. Some have even speculated that Brontë herself may have been in love with her friend Ellen Nussey; Vita Sackville-West called the letters between the two "love letters pure and simple." Scholars have similarly speculated on whether the 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson might have been in love with her sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert, a possibility that encourages queer readings of Dickinson's many love poems. Michael Field was the pseudonym used by two British women, Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper, who wrote poetry and verse-dramas together. Bradley was Cooper's aunt, and the two lived together as lovers from the 1870s to their deaths in 1913 and 1914. Their poetry often took their love as its subject, and they also wrote a book of poems for their dog, Whym Chow. Certain canonical male authors of the 19th century also incorporated lesbian themes into their work. At the beginning of the century, Samuel Taylor Coleridge published his unfinished narrative poem " Christabel". Scholars have interpreted the interactions in this poem between the titular character and a stranger named Geraldine as having lesbian implications.
Algernon Charles Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as ''Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition ...
became known for subject matter that was considered scandalous, including lesbianism and
sadomasochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...
. In 1866, he published ''Poems and Ballads'', which contained the poems "
Anactoria Anactoria (or Anaktoria) is the name of a woman mentioned by poet Sappho as a lover of hers in Sappho's Fragment 16 (Lobel-Page edition often referred to by the title "To an Army Wife, in Sardis". Sappho 31 is traditionally called the "Ode to A ...
" and "Sapphics" concerning
Sappho Sappho (; el, Σαπφώ ''Sapphō'' ; Aeolic Greek ''Psápphō''; c. 630 – c. 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from Eresos or Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her lyric poetry, written to be sung while accompanied ...
of Lesbos and dealing explicitly with lesbian content. Finally,
Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...
portrayed a
Boston marriage A "Boston marriage" was, historically, the cohabitation of two wealthy women, independent of financial support from a man. The term is said to have been in use in New England in the late 19th/early 20th century. Some of these relationships were ...
, considered an early form of lesbian relationship, between the feminist characters Olive Chancellor and Verena Tarrant in his 1886 novel '' The Bostonians''. One of the more explicitly lesbian works of the 19th century is the
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...
''
Carmilla ''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (1897) by 26 years. First published as a serial in '' The Dark Blue'' (1871–72), the ...
'', by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, first published in serial form in 1871-72. Considered a precursor to and an inspiration for
Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busines ...
's '' Dracula'', ''Carmilla'' tells the story of the relationship between the innocent Laura and the vampire Carmilla, whose sucking of Laura's blood is clearly linked to an erotic attraction to Laura. This story has inspired many other works that take advantage of the trope of the lesbian vampire. It was also adapted into a YouTube webseries of the same name beginning in 2014.


Modern history


1900–1950: Beginnings

The first novel in the English language recognised as having a lesbian theme is '' The Well of Loneliness'' (1928) by Radclyffe Hall, which a British court found obscene because it defended "unnatural practices between women". The book was banned in Britain for decades; this is in the context of the similar censorship of '' Lady Chatterley's Lover'', which also had a theme of transgressive female sexuality, albeit heterosexual. In the United States, ''The Well of Loneliness'' survived legal challenges in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
and the U.S. Customs Court. In 1923, Elsa Gidlow, born in England, published the first volume of openly lesbian love poetry in the United States, titled ''On a Grey Thread''. In the early 20th century, an increasingly visible lesbian community in Paris centered on literary salons hosted by French lesbians as well as expatriates like Nathalie Barney and Gertrude Stein, who produced lesbian-themed works in French and English, including '' Nightwood'' by Djuna Barnes, ''Idyll Saphique'' by
Liane de Pougy Liane de Pougy (born Anne-Marie Chassaigne, 2 July 1869 – 26 December 1950), was a Folies Bergère vedette and dancer renowned as one of Paris's most beautiful and notorious courtesans. Early life and marriage Anne-Marie Chassaigne was bo ...
, poetry by Renee Vivien, Barney's own
epigrams An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two mille ...
, poetry, and several works by Stein. Radclyffe Hall also spent time in Paris at Barney's salon and modeled one of her characters in ''The Well of Loneliness'' after her. Japanese writer
Nobuko Yoshiya was a Japanese novelist active in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. She was one of modern Japan's most commercially successful and prolific writers, specializing in serialized romance novels and adolescent girls' fiction, as well as a pioneer in ...
was an important early 20th century author of stories about intense romance between young women, though her writing was accepted in mainstream culture because none of the relationships were consummated.
Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...
's 1928 novel of a high-spirited gender-bending poet who lives for centuries, '' Orlando'', which was said to be based on her lover, Vita Sackville-West, was re-examined in the 1970s as a 'subversive' lesbian text. Other examples of 1920s lesbian literature include poems by Amy Lowell about her partner of over a decade Ada Dwyer Russell. Lowell wanted to dedicate her books to Dwyer who refused as they had to hide the nature of their relationship except for one time in a non-poetry book in which Lowell wrote, "To A.D.R., This, and all my books. A.L." Examples of these love poems to Dwyer include ''the Taxi'', ''Absence'', Preface reprinted at th
author's website
''In a Garden'', ''Madonna of the Evening Flowers'', ''Opal'', and ''Aubade''. Lowell admitted to
John Livingston Lowes John Livingston Lowes (December 20, 1867, Decatur, Indiana – August 15, 1945, Boston, Massachusetts) was an American scholar and critic of English literature, specializing in Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Geoffrey Chaucer. Life Lowes earned a B.A. ...
that Dwyer was the subject of her series of romantic poems titled "Two Speak Together". Lowell's poems about Dwyer have been called the most explicit and elegant lesbian love poetry during the time between the ancient
Sappho Sappho (; el, Σαπφώ ''Sapphō'' ; Aeolic Greek ''Psápphō''; c. 630 – c. 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from Eresos or Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her lyric poetry, written to be sung while accompanied ...
and poets of the 1970s. Unfortunately, most of the primary document romantic letters of communication between the two were destroyed by Dwyer at Lowell's request, leaving much unknown about the details of their life together. Most American literature of the 1930s, 40s, and early 50s presented lesbian life as tragedy, ending with either the suicide of the lesbian character or her conversion to heterosexuality.Diana Frederics: Diana, A Strange Autobiography, 1939
. OutHistory (September 26, 2010). Retrieved on November 30, 2010.
This was required so that the authorities did not declare the literature obscene.Gallo, p. 67 This would generally be achieved by placing the death or conversion in the last chapter or even paragraph. For example, ''The Stone Wall'', a lesbian autobiography with an unhappy ending, was published in 1930 under the pseudonym Mary Casal. It was one of the first lesbian autobiographies. Yet as early as 1939,
Frances V. Rummell Frances V. Rummell (November 14, 1907 - May 11, 1969) was an educator and columnist who is known posthumously as the author and publisher of the first explicitly lesbian autobiography in the United States. Early life Frances Virginia Rummell ...
, an educator and a teacher of French at Stephens College, published the first explicitly lesbian autobiography in which two women end up happily together, titled ''Diana: A Strange Autobiography''.History Detectives . Investigations – Diana
PBS. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
This autobiography was published with a note saying, "The publishers wish it expressly understood that this is a true story, the first of its kind ever offered to the general reading public". However, literary critics have since called the autobiography 'fictional'. Jane Bowles' only novel, '' Two Serious Ladies'', published in 1943, told the story of a romance between an upper class woman and a prostitute in a run-down Panamanian port town.


1950 to 1970: Pulp fiction and beyond

Lesbian fiction in English saw a huge explosion in interest with the advent of the dime-store or
pulp fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rham ...
novel. Lesbian pulp fiction became its own distinct category of fiction in the 1950s and 60s, although a significant number of authors of this genre were men using either a male or female pen name. Tereska Torrès is credited with writing the first lesbian pulp novel, '' Women's Barracks'', a fictionalized story about women in the Free French Forces during World War II. The 1950 book sold 2 million copies in its first five years of publication. One notable female author of lesbian pulp fiction, who came out later in life as a lesbian, was
Ann Bannon Ann Weldy (born September 15, 1932), better known by her pen name Ann Bannon, is an American author who, from 1957 to 1962, wrote six lesbian pulp fiction novels known as ''The Beebo Brinker Chronicles''. The books' enduring popularity and impac ...
, who created the
Beebo Brinker ''Beebo Brinker'' is a lesbian pulp fiction novel written in 1962 by Ann Bannon (pseudonym of Ann Weldy). It is the last in a series of pulp fiction novels that eventually came to be known as '' The Beebo Brinker Chronicles''. It was originally ...
series. '' The Price of Salt'' by Patricia Highsmith, considered the first lesbian novel with a happy ending, was groundbreaking for being the first where neither of the two women has a nervous breakdown, dies tragically, faces a lonely and desolate future, commits suicide, or returns to being with a male. The manuscript was rejected by Highsmith's publisher
Harper & Brothers Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City. History J. & J. Harper (1817–1833) James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...
and published in hardcover by
Coward-McCann G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and ...
in 1952 under the pseudonym "Claire Morgan", followed by the
Bantam Books Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. ...
lesbian pulp fiction
paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, le ...
in 1953. The paperback editions sold almost 1 million copies. In 1990, it was republished by
Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mu ...
under Highmith's own name with the title changed to ''Carol'' (the novel was adapted as the 2015 film of same name). In the 1950s, parts of French author Violette leDuc's novel ''Ravages'' were censored because they contained explicit lesbian passages. The deleted passages were published in the 1960s as ''Therese and Isabelle'' and made into the 1968 film of same title.
Jane Rule Jane Vance Rule (28 March 1931 – 27 November 2007) was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed works. Her first novel, '' Desert of the Heart'', appeared in 1964, when gay activity was still a criminal offence. It turned Rule into a reluctant ...
's ''
Desert of the Heart ''Desert of the Heart'' is a 1964 novel written by Jane Rule. The story was adapted into the 1985 film ''Desert Hearts'', directed by Donna Deitch. The book was originally published in hardback by Macmillan Canada. It was one of the very few novel ...
'' was able to break out of the pulp fiction category when it was published as a hardback by
Macmillan Canada Macmillan of Canada was a Canadian publishing house. The company was founded in 1905 as the Canadian arm of the English publisher Macmillan. At that time it was known as the "Macmillan Company of Canada Ltd." In the course of its existence the n ...
in 1964. Several publishers turned it down beforehand however, with one telling Rule, "If this book isn't pornographic, what's the point of printing it?...if you can write in the dirty parts we'll take it but otherwise no".Hannon, Gerald. Xtra.ca (Toronto). Retrieved November 29, 2007. The novel was loosely adapted into the 1985 film '' Desert Hearts''. When publishing her novel ''Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing'' in 1965, the novelist
May Sarton May Sarton was the pen name of Eleanore Marie Sarton (May 3, 1912 – July 16, 1995), a Belgian-American poet, novelist and memoirist. Although her best work is strongly personalised with erotic female imagery, she resisted the label of ‘lesbi ...
feared that writing openly about lesbianism would lead to a diminution of the previously established value of her work. "The fear of homosexuality is so great that it took courage to write ''Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing,''" she said, "to write a novel about a woman homosexual who is not a sex maniac, a drunkard, a drug-taker, or in any way repulsive, to portray a homosexual who is neither pitiable nor disgusting, without sentimentality ..." The first English contemporary novelist to come out as a lesbian was Maureen Duffy, whose 1966 book ''Microcosm'' explored the subcultures of lesbian bars.


1970 to the present: Second wave feminism, mainstream acceptance, and diversification

The feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s saw the development of a more politicized voice in lesbian literature and more mainstream acceptance of lesbian-themed literature that moved away from the 'tragic lesbian' theme that had dominated earlier works. A pioneering autobiographical novel of this era was the picaresque 1973 novel '' Rubyfruit Jungle'' by
Rita Mae Brown Rita Mae Brown (born November 28, 1944) is an American feminist writer, best known for her coming-of-age autobiographical novel, ''Rubyfruit Jungle''. Brown was active in a number of civil rights campaigns and criticized the marginalization of le ...
, which became a national best-seller.
Jill Johnston Jill Johnston (May 17, 1929 – September 18, 2010) was a British-born American feminist author and cultural critic who wrote '' Lesbian Nation'' in 1973 and was a longtime writer for ''The Village Voice''. She was also a leader of the lesbian ...
argued for
lesbian separatism Feminist separatism is the theory that feminist opposition to patriarchy can be achieved through women's separation from men.Christine Skelton, Becky Francis, ''Feminism and the Schooling Scandal'', Taylor & Francis, 2009 ,p. 104 Because much o ...
in her 1973 book '' Lesbian Nation''. In the 1970s, the voices of American lesbians of color began to be heard, including works by
Audre Lorde Audre Lorde (; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," who ...
, Jewelle Gomez,
Paula Gunn Allen Paula Gunn Allen (October 24, 1939 – May 29, 2008) was a Native American poet, literary critic, activist, professor, and novelist. Of mixed-race European-American, Native American, and Arab-American descent, she identified with her mother's ...
, Cherrie Moraga, and Gloria Anzaldua. One of the foundational texts of black lesbian literature is
Ann Allen Shockley Ann Allen Shockley (born June 21, 1927) is an American journalist and author, specialising in themes of interracial lesbian love, especially the plight of black lesbians living under what she views as the ‘triple oppression’ of racism, sexism ...
’s novel, '' Loving Her''. Published in 1974, ''Loving Her'' is widely considered to be one of the first, if not the first, published pieces of black lesbian literature.
Joanna Russ Joanna Russ (February 22, 1937 – April 29, 2011) was an American writer, academic and feminist. She is the author of a number of works of science fiction, fantasy and feminist literary criticism such as '' How to Suppress Women's Writing'', as ...
's 1975 novel '' The Female Man'' contains an alternative universe inhabited solely by lesbians. The 1970s also saw the advent of feminist and LGBT publishing houses, such as Naiad Press, and literary magazines like ''
Sinister Wisdom ''Sinister Wisdom'' is an American lesbian literary, theory, and art journal published quarterly in Berkeley, California. Started in 1976 by Catherine Nicholson and Harriet Ellenberger (Desmoines) in Charlotte, North Carolina, it is the longest ...
'', and '' Conditions''Busia, Abena P. A. ''Theorizing Black Feminisms: The Visionary Pragmatism of Black Women'', Routledge, 1993, , p. 225n. which published lesbian works.
Adrienne Rich Adrienne Cecile Rich ( ; May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012) was an American poet, essayist and Feminism, feminist. She was called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century", and was credited with bri ...
and Judy Grahn were important poets and essayists of the era. '' Patience and Sarah'' by
Alma Routsong Alma Routsong (November 26, 1924 – October 4, 1996) was an American novelist best known for her lesbian fiction, published under the pen name Isabel Miller. Early life Alma Routsong was born Elma Louise Routsong in Traverse City, Michigan, on ...
, published under the pen name "Isabel Miller" in 1971, examined the historical confines of a romance between two 19th century women in a Boston Marriage. After the birth of an explicitly gay and lesbian literature in the 1970s, the following decades saw a tremendous rise in its production. While gay male novels had more crossover appeal and often became mid-list sellers in mainstream publishing houses; lesbian literature, depending on smaller presses, developed smaller but 'respectable' audiences. In the 1980s, with the advent of sex-positive feminism, a few lesbian literary magazines began to specialize in more explicitly erotic work, such as ''
On Our Backs ''On Our Backs'' was the first women-run erotica magazine and the first magazine to feature lesbian erotica for a lesbian audience in the United States. It ran from 1984 to 2006. Origin The magazine was first published in 1984 by Debi Sundahl ...
'', a satirical reference to the feminist 1970s magazine, '' Off Our Backs''.Josh Sides, "Erotic City: Sexual Revolutions and the Making of Modern San Francisco", Oxford University Press US, 2009, , p.219 The 1988 founding of the
Lambda Literary Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature.The awards were instituted i ...
, with several lesbian categories, helped increase the visibility of LGBT literature. In the 1980s and 90s, lesbian literature diversified into genre literature, including fantasy, mystery, science fiction, romance, graphic novels, and young adult. In 1983,
Anita Cornwell Anita Cornwell (born September 23, 1923) is an American lesbian feminist author. In 1983 she wrote the first collection of essays by an African-American lesbian, ''Black Lesbian in White America''. Biography Born in Greenwood, South Carolina ...
wrote the first published collection of essays by an African-American lesbian, ''Black Lesbian in White America'', published by Naiad Press. The influence of late 20th century feminism and greater acceptance of LGBT work was felt in Mexico, with the emergence of lesbian poets Nancy Cardenas, Magaly Alabau, Mercedes Roffe, and others. In Argentina and Uruguay,
Alejandra Pizarnik Flora Alejandra Pizarnik (29 April 1936 – 25 September 1972) was an Argentine poet. Her idiosyncratic and thematically introspective poetry has been considered "one of the most unusual bodies of work in Latin American literature", and has been ...
and
Cristina Peri Rossi Cristina Peri Rossi (born 12 November 1941) is a Uruguayan novelist, poet, translator, and author of short stories. Considered a leading light of the post-1960s period of prominence of the Latin-American novel, she has written more than 37 work ...
combined lesbian eroticism with artistic and sociopolitical concerns in their work. In Asia, Singaporean playwright Eleanor Wong and Taiwanese writer Qiu Miaojin have written about lesbian relationships, as have Chinese writers Lin Bai and Chen Ran. ''Spinning Tropics'' by Aska Mochizuki, '' Beauty and Sadness'' by Yasunari Kawabata, '' Quicksand'' (卍 Manji) by Junichiro Tanizaki and '' Real World'' by
Natsuo Kirino (born October 7, 1951, in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture) is the pen name of Mariko Hashioka, a Japanese novelist and a leading figure in the recent boom of female writers of Japanese detective fiction. Biography Kirino is the middle child of th ...
are all novels that explore lesbian love in Japan. Indian novelist
Abha Dawesar Abha Dawesar (born 1 January 1974) is an Indian-born novelist writing in English. Her novels include ''Babyji'', ''Family Values'', ''That Summer in Paris'', and ''Miniplanner''. Her 2005 novel ''Babyji'' won the Lambda Literary Award for Lesb ...
's 2006 ''
Babyji ''Babyji'' is a novel by Abha Dawesar first published in 2005. Set in 1980s Delhi, India, it recounts the coming of age and the sexual adventures and fantasies of a 16-year-old bespectacled schoolgirl, the only child of a Brahmin family. T ...
'' won a Stonewall Award and the
Lambda Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature.The awards were instituted ...
. In the 21st century, lesbian literature has emerged as a genre in Arabic speaking countries, with some novels, like ''Ana Hiya Anti'' (I Am You) by Elham Mansour, achieving best-seller status. This century has also brought more attention to African literary works and authors, such as Cameroonian novelist Frieda Ekotto and Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aido. Meanwhile, English-language novels which include lesbian characters or relationships have continued to garner national awards and mainstream critical acclaim, like ''
The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.
'' (1982) by
Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awa ...
, '' Bastard out of Carolina'' (1992) by Dorothy Allison, '' The Hours'' (1998) by
Michael Cunningham Michael Cunningham (born November 6, 1952) is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for his 1998 novel '' The Hours'', which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1999. Cunningham is a senior lectur ...
, '' Fingersmith'' (2002) by
Sarah Waters Sarah Ann Waters (born 21 July 1966) is a Welsh novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society and featuring lesbian protagonists, such as '' Tipping the Velvet'' and '' Fingersmith''. Life and education Early life Sar ...
and ''Lost and Found'' (2006) by
Carolyn Parkhurst Carolyn Parkhurst (born January 18, 1971, Manchester, New Hampshire) is an American author who has published five books. Her first, the 2003 best-seller ''The Dogs of Babel'' also known as ''Lorelei's Secret'' in the UK, was a ''New York Times'' ...
. As literature including lesbian characters and relationships has become more accepted in mainstream Western society, some writers and literary critics have questioned why there needs to be a separate category for lesbian literature at all. "I've never understood why straight fiction is supposed to be for everyone, but anything with a gay character or that includes gay experience is only for queers," said Jeanette Winterson, author of the best-selling 1985 novel '' Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit.'' Others have stressed the continuing need for LGBT-themed literature, especially for younger LGBT readers.


Young adult fiction


1970s

In ''Ruby'' (1976) by
Rosa Guy Rosa Cuthbert Guy () (September 1, 1922Margalit Fox"Rosa Guy, 89, Author of Forthright Novels for Young People, Dies" ''The New York Times'', June 7, 2012. – June 3, 2012) was a Trinidad-born American writer who grew up in the New York metro ...
, the main character is a girl from the West Indies. The novel tells the story of her relationship with another girl. Other young adult novels with lesbian characters and themes that were published during this time include ''Happy Endings Are All Alike'' (1978) by
Sandra Scoppettone Sandra Scoppettone (born June 1, 1936, Morristown, New Jersey)Day, Frances Ann (2000). Lesbian and gay voices: An annotated bibliography and guide to literature for children and young adults. Greenwood Press. is an American author whose career spa ...
. According to the author, it "barely got reviewed and when it did it wasn't good", unlike Scoppettone's novel about gay boys, which was better received. Frequent themes in books published during the 1970s are that homosexuality is a "phase", or that there are no "happy endings" for gay people, and that they generally lead a difficult life. The ''School Library Journal'' reported:
Judy Blume Judith Blume (née Sussman; born February 12, 1938) is an American writer of children's, young adult and adult fiction. Blume began writing in 1959 and has published more than 25 novels. Among her best-known works are ''Are You There God? It's M ...
has been cited as a catalyst in the 1970s for an increase in inclusion of "taboo" topics in children's literature, which include homosexuality.


1980s

'' Annie on My Mind'' (1982) by Nancy Garden tells the story of two high school girls who fall in love. The novel, which has never been out of print, was a step forward for homosexuality in young adult literature. It was published in hardback and by a major press. In the book, homosexuality is seen as something permanent and to be explored, not "fixed." In Kansas, a minister led a public burning of ''Annie on My Mind'' following a controversy after it was donated to a school library.


1990s

During this decade the number of lesbian-themed young adult novels published rose. Nancy Garden published two novels with lesbian protagonists, ''Lark in the Morning'' (1991) and ''Good Moon Rising'', and received positive sales and reviews. In 1994, M.E. Kerr published ''Deliver Us From Evie'', about a boy with a lesbian sister, which was well received by the public. Other books published during this decade include ''Dive'' (1996) by Stacey Donovan, ''The Necessary Hunger'' (1997) by
Nina Revoyr Nina Revoyr (born June 12, 1969) is an American novelist and children's advocate, best known for her award-winning 2003 novel '' Southland''.
, ''The House You Pass On the Way'' (1997) by
Jacqueline Woodson Jacqueline Woodson (born February 12, 1963) is an American writer of books for children and adolescents. She is best known for '' Miracle's Boys'', and her Newbery Honor-winning titles '' Brown Girl Dreaming'', '' After Tupac and D Foster'', ''F ...
, ''Girl Walking Backwards'' (1998) by Bett Williams (who intended the novel for an adult audience though it was popular among teens), ''Hard Love'' (1999) by Ellen Wittlinger and ''Dare Truth or Promise'' (1999) by
Paula Boock Paula Boock (born 1964) is a New Zealand writer and editor. Biography Born in Dunedin, Boock is a member of a sporting family. She is the sister of four brothers,
.


2000s

The 1990s represented a turning point for young adult novels that explored lesbian issues, and since 2000, a flood of such books has reached the market. The public attitude towards lesbian themes in young adult literature has grown more accepting. In 2000, the ''
School Library Journal'' included ''Annie on My Mind'' in its list of the top 100 most influential books of the century. In the past, most books portrayed gay people as "living isolated lives, out of context with the reality of an amazingly active community." Today, books also show gay characters not as stigmatized and separate. A popular young adult novel of 2012, '' The Miseducation of Cameron Post'' by Emily M. Danforth, tells the story of a 12-year-old girl who is sent to a de-gaying camp in Montana. In 2016, principal photography began on a
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
. There are fewer books about female homosexuality than male homosexuality, and even fewer books on bisexuality are published. Despite the fact that availability of books with teen lesbian and bisexual themes has increased since the 1960s, books with non-white characters are still difficult to find. One exception is the 2021 young adult novel, ''
Last Night at the Telegraph Club ''Last Night at the Telegraph Club'' is a young adult historical novel written by Malinda Lo and published on January 19, 2021, by Dutton Books for Young Readers. It is set in 1950s San Francisco and tells the story of Lily Hu, a teenage daughte ...
'', which describes the coming-of-age of a teenage daughter of Chinese immigrants in 1950's San Francisco.


Publishers

The first lesbian publisher devoted to publishing lesbian and feminist books was Daughters, Inc. in
Plainfield, Vermont Plainfield, a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States was incorporated in 1867. The population was 1,236 at the 2020 census. Plainfield is the location of Goddard College. Geography Plainfield is located at . According to the United ...
, which published ''Rubyfruit Jungle'' by Rita Mae Brown in 1973. Naiad Press, followed, which published the seminal lesbian romance novel ''Curious Wine'' (1983) by Katherine V. Forrest and many other books. The press closed in 2003 after 31 years.Bullough, Vern L. (2003). ''Before Stonewall''. Haworth, 2003 (262). Naiad co-founder
Barbara Grier Barbara Grier (November 4, 1933 – November 10, 2011) was an American writer and publisher. She is credited for having built the lesbian book industry. After editing '' The Ladder'' magazine, published by the lesbian civil rights group Daugh ...
handed off her books and operation to a newly established press,
Bella Books Bella Books is a small press publisher of lesbian literature based in Tallahassee, Florida. History Kelly Smith, along with other investors, created the corporation in Michigan in 1999 as an outgrowth of Smith's long relationship with ''A Woman ...
. Established in 2001, Bella Books acquired the Naiad Press backlist, including the majority of works by
Jane Rule Jane Vance Rule (28 March 1931 – 27 November 2007) was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed works. Her first novel, '' Desert of the Heart'', appeared in 1964, when gay activity was still a criminal offence. It turned Rule into a reluctant ...
and all the works of Karin Kallmaker. Their catalog includes over 300 titles of lesbian romance, lesbian mystery and erotica. Other early publishers include Spinsters Ink (which was sold a couple of times and now is part of the Bella Books organization), Rising Tide Press, Crossing Press,
Onlywomen Press Onlywomen Press (briefly known as The Women's Press) was a feminist press based in London. It was the only feminist press to be founded by out lesbians, Lilian Mohin, Sheila Shulman, and Deborah Hart. It commenced publishing in 1974 and was on ...
, Kitchen Table Press, and New Victoria. In many cases, these presses were operated by authors who also published with the publication house, such as Barbara Wilson at Seal Press, which became part of the mainstream company
Avalon Publishing Perseus Books Group was an American publishing company founded in 1996 by investor Frank Pearl. Perseus acquired the trade publishing division of Addison-Wesley (including the Merloyd Lawrence imprint) in 1997. It was named Publisher of the Ye ...
, and
Joan Drury Joan Drury (2 February 1945 - 9 November 2020) was an American novelist, book publisher, book seller, and philanthropist. She owned Spinsters, Ink, a publishing company that focused on books by women, especially those identifying as lesbian. She wa ...
at Spinsters Ink. The current largest publishers of lesbian fiction are
Bella Books Bella Books is a small press publisher of lesbian literature based in Tallahassee, Florida. History Kelly Smith, along with other investors, created the corporation in Michigan in 1999 as an outgrowth of Smith's long relationship with ''A Woman ...
, Bold Strokes Books, Bywater Books, and Flashpoint Publications, which acquired Regal Crest Enterprises (RCE) in January 2021. Flashpoint Publications/RCE has a catalog of lesbian romance, lesbian mystery, some erotica, sci-fi, fantasy, and sagas currently exceeding 150 works. Bold Strokes Books, established in 2005, publishes lesbian and gay male mystery, thrillers, sci-fi, adventure, and other LGBT genre books, with a catalog including 130 titles.
Alyson Books Alyson Books, formerly known as Alyson Publications, was a book publishing house which specialized in LGBT fiction and non-fiction. Former publisher Don Weise described it as "the world's oldest and largest publisher of LGBT literature" and "the ...
specialized in LGBT authors and published a number of lesbian titles. Smaller publishers of exclusively lesbian fiction include
Bedazzled Ink Bedazzled may refer to: * ''Bedazzled'' (1967 film), a British comedy starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore * ''Bedazzled'' (2000 film), a remake of the 1967 film * Bedazzled (band), a British band * Bedazzled Records, a record label {{disambi ...
,
Intaglio Publications Intaglio, the process of cutting a design into a surface, may refer to: * Intaglio, a type of engraved gem or metal signet ring * Intaglio (printmaking) Intaglio ( ; ) is the family of printing and printmaking techniques in which the image is ...
,
Launch Point Press Launch Point Press is a small press publisher of lesbian literature based in Portland, Oregon. History Launch Point Press (LPP) is a lesbian-oriented press with the goal of publishing quality works by newer authors just “launching” their car ...
,
Sapphire Books Publishing Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sapphi ...
, Supposed Crimes,
Wicked Publishing Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * ''Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' ser ...
, and Ylva Publishing. Some women's feminist presses also produce lesbian fiction, such as
Firebrand Books Firebrand Books is a publishing house established in 1984 by Nancy K. Bereano---a lesbian/feminist activist in Ithaca, NY. Karen Oosterhouse, publisher since 2003, describes Firebrand as "the independent publisher of record for feminist and les ...
and
Virago Press Virago is a British publisher of women's writing and books on feminist topics. Started and run by women in the 1970s and bolstered by the success of the Women's Liberation Movement (WLM), Virago has been credited as one of several British femini ...
.


Notable works

* '' The Well of Loneliness'', Radclyffe Hall (1928) * '' Nightwood'', Djuna Barnes (1936) * '' The Price of Salt'', Patricia Highsmith (1952) – aka ''Carol'' (1990) * '' Spring Fire'',
Vin Packer Marijane Agnes Meaker (May 27, 1927 – November 21, 2022) was an American writer who, along with Tereska Torres, was credited with launching the lesbian pulp fiction genre, the only accessible novels on that theme in the 1950s. Under the name ...
(1952) * '' Rempart des Béguines'', Françoise Mallet-Joris (1952) * '' Chocolates for Breakfast'', Pamela Moore (author) (1957) * ''
The Beebo Brinker Chronicles Ann Weldy (born September 15, 1932), better known by her pen name Ann Bannon, is an American author who, from 1957 to 1962, wrote six lesbian pulp fiction novels known as ''The Beebo Brinker Chronicles''. The books' enduring popularity and impac ...
'',
Ann Bannon Ann Weldy (born September 15, 1932), better known by her pen name Ann Bannon, is an American author who, from 1957 to 1962, wrote six lesbian pulp fiction novels known as ''The Beebo Brinker Chronicles''. The books' enduring popularity and impac ...
(1957–1962) * ''
Desert of the Heart ''Desert of the Heart'' is a 1964 novel written by Jane Rule. The story was adapted into the 1985 film ''Desert Hearts'', directed by Donna Deitch. The book was originally published in hardback by Macmillan Canada. It was one of the very few novel ...
'',
Jane Rule Jane Vance Rule (28 March 1931 – 27 November 2007) was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed works. Her first novel, '' Desert of the Heart'', appeared in 1964, when gay activity was still a criminal offence. It turned Rule into a reluctant ...
(1964) * '' Patience & Sarah'', Isabel Miller (1971) * '' Rubyfruit Jungle'',
Rita Mae Brown Rita Mae Brown (born November 28, 1944) is an American feminist writer, best known for her coming-of-age autobiographical novel, ''Rubyfruit Jungle''. Brown was active in a number of civil rights campaigns and criticized the marginalization of le ...
(1973) * ''
The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.
'',
Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awa ...
(1982) * '' Annie on My Mind'', Nancy Garden (1982) * '' The Swashbuckler'', Lee Lynch (1983) * '' Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'', Jeanette Winterson (1985) * ''Memory Board'',
Jane Rule Jane Vance Rule (28 March 1931 – 27 November 2007) was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed works. Her first novel, '' Desert of the Heart'', appeared in 1964, when gay activity was still a criminal offence. It turned Rule into a reluctant ...
(1985) * '' Send My Roots Rain'', Ibis Gómez-Vega (1991) * '' Along the Journey River'', Carole LaFavor (1996) * '' Memory Mambo'',
Achy Obejas Achy Obejas (born June 28, 1956) is a Cuban-American writer and translator focused on personal and national identity issues, living in Benicia, California. She frequently writes on her sexuality and nationality, and has received numerous awards f ...
(1996) * ''
Tipping the Velvet ''Tipping the Velvet'' (1998) is a historical novel by Sarah Waters; it is her debut novel. Set in England during the 1890s, it tells a coming of age story about a young woman named Nan who falls in love with a male impersonator, follows her ...
'',
Sarah Waters Sarah Ann Waters (born 21 July 1966) is a Welsh novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society and featuring lesbian protagonists, such as '' Tipping the Velvet'' and '' Fingersmith''. Life and education Early life Sar ...
(1998) * '' Fingersmith'',
Sarah Waters Sarah Ann Waters (born 21 July 1966) is a Welsh novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society and featuring lesbian protagonists, such as '' Tipping the Velvet'' and '' Fingersmith''. Life and education Early life Sar ...
(2002) * ''Garis Tepi Seorang Lesbian'', Herlinatiens (2003) * '' Southland'',
Nina Revoyr Nina Revoyr (born June 12, 1969) is an American novelist and children's advocate, best known for her award-winning 2003 novel '' Southland''.
(2003) * ''
Stone Butch Blues ''Stone Butch Blues'' is a historical fiction novel written by Leslie Feinberg about life as a butch lesbian in 1970s America. While fictional, the work also takes inspiration from Feinberg's own life, and she described it as her "call to action. ...
'',
Leslie Feinberg Leslie Feinberg (September 1, 1949 – November 15, 2014) was an American butch lesbian, transgender activist, communist, and author. Feinberg authored '' Stone Butch Blues'' in 1993.
(1993) * '' Sugar Rush'', Julie Burchill (2004) * ''
Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
'',
Malinda Lo Malinda Lo is an American writer of young adult novels including '' Ash'', ''Huntress'', ''Adaptation'', ''Inheritance,'' ''A Line in the Dark'', and '' Last Night at the Telegraph Club''. She also does research on diversity in young adult litera ...
(2009)


Notable authors (alphabetically)

* Sarah Aldridge *
Ann Bannon Ann Weldy (born September 15, 1932), better known by her pen name Ann Bannon, is an American author who, from 1957 to 1962, wrote six lesbian pulp fiction novels known as ''The Beebo Brinker Chronicles''. The books' enduring popularity and impac ...
*
Natalie Barney Natalie Clifford Barney (October 31, 1876 – February 2, 1972) was an American writer who hosted a salon (gathering), literary salon at her home in Paris that brought together French and international writers. She influenced other authors throu ...
* Alison Bechdel *
Rita Mae Brown Rita Mae Brown (born November 28, 1944) is an American feminist writer, best known for her coming-of-age autobiographical novel, ''Rubyfruit Jungle''. Brown was active in a number of civil rights campaigns and criticized the marginalization of le ...
* Julie Burchill *
Jessie Chandler Jessie Chandler (born August 16, 1968) is an American author of mystery and humorous caper fiction, most of which is about lesbian protagonists. Her work includes the Shay O'Hanlon Caper Series, many short stories, and other novels. Chandler has ...
*
Abha Dawesar Abha Dawesar (born 1 January 1974) is an Indian-born novelist writing in English. Her novels include ''Babyji'', ''Family Values'', ''That Summer in Paris'', and ''Miniplanner''. Her 2005 novel ''Babyji'' won the Lambda Literary Award for Lesb ...
* Ellen DeGeneres *
Emma Donoghue Emma Donoghue (born 24 October 1969) is an Irish-Canadian playwright, literary historian, novelist, and screenwriter. Her 2010 novel ''Room'' was a finalist for the Booker Prize and an international best-seller. Donoghue's 1995 novel ''Hood'' ...
* Sarah Dreher * Lillian Faderman * Katherine V. Forrest * Jocelyne François * Jeanne Galzy * Nancy Garden * Alicia Gaspar de Alba * Ibis Gómez-Vega *
Nicola Griffith Nicola Griffith (; born 30 September 1960) is a British-American novelist, essayist, and teacher. She has won the Washington State Book Award, Nebula Award, James Tiptree, Jr. Award, World Fantasy Award and six Lambda Literary Awards. Personal ...
*
Rosa Guy Rosa Cuthbert Guy () (September 1, 1922Margalit Fox"Rosa Guy, 89, Author of Forthright Novels for Young People, Dies" ''The New York Times'', June 7, 2012. – June 3, 2012) was a Trinidad-born American writer who grew up in the New York metro ...
* Radclyffe Hall *
Bertha Harris Bertha Harris (December 17, 1937 – May 22, 2005) was an American lesbian novelist. She is highly regarded by critics and admirers, but her novels are less familiar to the broader public. Personal life Bertha Anne Harris was born in Fay ...
*
Ellen Hart Ellen Hart (born August 10, 1949) is the award-winning mystery author of the Jane Lawless and Sophie Greenway series. Born in Maine, she was a professional chef for 14 years. Hart's mysteries include culinary elements similar to those of Diane ...
* Karin Kallmaker *
Lori L. Lake Lori L. Lake (born February 9, 1960) is an American writer of fiction, mainly about lesbian protagonists. She is also an editor, writing instructor, and former publisher. Personal life Lake was born in Portland, Oregon, the oldest of five daughte ...
* Violette Leduc * Carole LaFavor *
Malinda Lo Malinda Lo is an American writer of young adult novels including '' Ash'', ''Huntress'', ''Adaptation'', ''Inheritance,'' ''A Line in the Dark'', and '' Last Night at the Telegraph Club''. She also does research on diversity in young adult litera ...
*
Audre Lorde Audre Lorde (; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," who ...
* Lee Lynch *
Ann-Marie MacDonald Ann-Marie MacDonald (born October 29, 1958) is a Canadian playwright, author, actress, and broadcast host who lives in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. MacDonald is the daughter of a member of Canada's military; she was born at an air force base near ...
* Marijane Meaker; also published under the pseudonyms of: ** Ann Aldrich ** Mary James ** M. E. Kerr ** Vin Packer ** Laura Winston *
Val McDermid Valarie "Val" McDermid, (born 4 June 1955) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of novels featuring clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill in a grim sub-genre that McDermid and others have identified as Tartan Noir. Biography M ...
* Qiu Miaojin *
Achy Obejas Achy Obejas (born June 28, 1956) is a Cuban-American writer and translator focused on personal and national identity issues, living in Benicia, California. She frequently writes on her sexuality and nationality, and has received numerous awards f ...
* Julie Anne Peters *
Radclyffe Radclyffe (real name Dr. Lenora Ruth Barot, born 1950) is an American author of lesbian romance, paranormal romance, erotica, and mystery. She has authored multiple short stories, written fan fiction, and edited numerous anthologies. Radclyffe ...
(who also publishes as L. L. Raand) *
Mary Renault Eileen Mary Challans (4 September 1905 – 13 December 1983), known by her pen name Mary Renault ("She always pronounced it 'Ren-olt', though almost everyone would come to speak of her as if she were a French car." ), was an English writer best ...
*
Nina Revoyr Nina Revoyr (born June 12, 1969) is an American novelist and children's advocate, best known for her award-winning 2003 novel '' Southland''.
*
Adrienne Rich Adrienne Cecile Rich ( ; May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012) was an American poet, essayist and Feminism, feminist. She was called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century", and was credited with bri ...
*
Jane Rule Jane Vance Rule (28 March 1931 – 27 November 2007) was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed works. Her first novel, '' Desert of the Heart'', appeared in 1964, when gay activity was still a criminal offence. It turned Rule into a reluctant ...
*
Joanna Russ Joanna Russ (February 22, 1937 – April 29, 2011) was an American writer, academic and feminist. She is the author of a number of works of science fiction, fantasy and feminist literary criticism such as '' How to Suppress Women's Writing'', as ...
*
Sappho Sappho (; el, Σαπφώ ''Sapphō'' ; Aeolic Greek ''Psápphō''; c. 630 – c. 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from Eresos or Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her lyric poetry, written to be sung while accompanied ...
*
May Sarton May Sarton was the pen name of Eleanore Marie Sarton (May 3, 1912 – July 16, 1995), a Belgian-American poet, novelist and memoirist. Although her best work is strongly personalised with erotic female imagery, she resisted the label of ‘lesbi ...
*
Sarah Schulman Sarah Miriam Schulman (born July 28, 1958) is an American novelist, playwright, nonfiction writer, screenwriter, gay activist, and AIDS historian. She is a Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at College of Staten Island (CSI) and a Fellow a ...
*
Sandra Scoppettone Sandra Scoppettone (born June 1, 1936, Morristown, New Jersey)Day, Frances Ann (2000). Lesbian and gay voices: An annotated bibliography and guide to literature for children and young adults. Greenwood Press. is an American author whose career spa ...
*
Merry Shannon Merry Shannon is an American author. She writes lesbian romance/adventure novels and short stories published by Bold Strokes Books. Life Shannon was born in Sacramento, California, and grew up in Texas and Colorado. She received her B.A. in Engl ...
*
Elizabeth Sims Elizabeth Sims (born September 30, 1957) is an American writer, journalist, and contributing editor at ''Writer's Digest'' magazine. She is a former correspondent for the ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' and author of two series of crime novels, incl ...
* Gertrude Stein *
tatiana de la tierra Tatiana de la tierra (May 14, 1961 – July 31, 2012) was a Columbian writer, poet and activist. She was the author of the first international Latina lesbian magazine '' Esto no tiene nombre.'' Early life Tatiana de la tierra was born in Villavic ...
*
Michelle Tea Michelle Tea (born Michelle Tomasik, 1971) is an American author, poet, and literary arts organizer whose autobiographical works explore queer culture, feminism, race, class, sex work, and other topics. She is originally from Chelsea, Massachus ...
* Valerie Taylor * Tereska Torrès *
Wu Tsao Wu Zao (; 1799–1862) was a Chinese poet. She was also known as Wu Pinxiang () and Yucenzi (). Background and career The daughter of a merchant, she was born in the town of Renhe (now Hangzhou) in Zhejiang province. She married a merchant name ...
* Renee Vivien * Ebine Yamaji *
Nobuko Yoshiya was a Japanese novelist active in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. She was one of modern Japan's most commercially successful and prolific writers, specializing in serialized romance novels and adolescent girls' fiction, as well as a pioneer in ...
*
Sarah Waters Sarah Ann Waters (born 21 July 1966) is a Welsh novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society and featuring lesbian protagonists, such as '' Tipping the Velvet'' and '' Fingersmith''. Life and education Early life Sar ...
* Jeanette Winterson *
Monique Wittig Monique Wittig (; July 13, 1935 – January 3, 2003) was a French author, philosopher and feminist theorist who wrote about abolition of the sex-class system and coined the phrase "heterosexual contract". Her seminal work is titled ''The Straig ...
*
Jacqueline Woodson Jacqueline Woodson (born February 12, 1963) is an American writer of books for children and adolescents. She is best known for '' Miracle's Boys'', and her Newbery Honor-winning titles '' Brown Girl Dreaming'', '' After Tupac and D Foster'', ''F ...
* Samar Yazbek


See also

* Black lesbian literature *
Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction The Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation to a work of fiction on lesbian themes. As the award is presented based on themes in the work, not the sexuality or gender of t ...
* Lesbian pulp fiction * Yuri (genre) *
List of lesbian fiction This is a List of lesbian-themed fiction. It includes books from the 18th century through the 21st century. It also includes lists of works by genre, a list of characters that make recurring appearances in fiction series, and a list of lesbian a ...
* List of poets portraying sexual relations between women * Bisexual literature (includes lesbian, gay and heterosexual encounters) * Gay literature (historically, the term "gay literature" was often used to cover both gay male and lesbian literature) *
LGBT themes in speculative fiction ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
(includes lesbian,
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
,
bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whic ...
, and transgender literature) *
List of LGBT-themed speculative fiction Many science fiction and fantasy stories involve LGBT characters, or otherwise represent themes that are relevant to LGBT issues and the LGBT community. This is a list of notable stories, and/or stories from notable series or anthologies, and/ ...
(includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender themed speculative fiction)


Notes


References


Further reading

* * * * * * ;Thesis *


External links


Lesbian Literature
at Goodreads
Lesbian Literature
at Bywater Books (lesbian books publisher, founded 2004)
Lesbian Literature
at Sapphire Books (lesbian books publisher, founded 2010)
Lesbian Literature
at
Golden Crown Literary Society The Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) is an American non-profit organization established in February 2004 as a literary and educational organization for the study, discussion, enjoyment, and enhancement of Lesbian literature. In 2020, in order ...

Lesbian Fiction
at Wicked Publishing (includes lesbian literature, founded 2016)
Lesbian Mysteries
at Bee Cliff Press (archive)
Lesbian Books
at The Lesbian Review (book reviews and recommendations)
Lesbians Over Everything
(lesbian stories and reviews platform)
''Lesbian Literature''
by Penelope J. Engelbrecht, from ''Women's Studies Encyclopedia'', 1999, vol. 2, pp. 852–856, Greenwood Press (2002) (archive)
''The Lesbian in Literature''
by
Barbara Grier Barbara Grier (November 4, 1933 – November 10, 2011) was an American writer and publisher. She is credited for having built the lesbian book industry. After editing '' The Ladder'' magazine, published by the lesbian civil rights group Daugh ...
, 1981, (3rd ed.), Naiad Press, at
OutHistory OutHistory.org is a website about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and heterosexual history, and, more generally, gender and sexual history. OutHistory.org comprises elements of an almanac, archive, article, bibliography, book, encyclop ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lesbian literature History of literature