The wonderful and equally sad thing about books is that so many have been published throughout history that you have no hope of reading them all. On the bright side, it does mean there is always something for you to read.
This International Women’s Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the incredible female authors that continue to provide us with knowledge, entertainment, tears, laughter and everything in between.
Women in literature hold an important place in our culture and have no doubt shaped the landscape of writing as we know it today. From Jane Austen to Zadie Smith, women have been producing magnificent work for centuries, and will surely be doing so for centuries to come.
2022 specifically will see some exciting new releases, and we’ve narrowed it down to our top ten female authors for you to keep an eye out for, five of whom are making their debut this year.
Sheila Armstrong
Sheila Armstrong is an Irish author and editor. Her debut book, How to Gut a Fish, is a collection of intensely unsettling short stories that explore people’s relationships with themselves, their past, their present, and their surroundings. It’s Armstrong’s hypnotic prose that makes How to Gut a Fish a winner.
How to Gut a Fish is out now.
Sheena Patel
Described as a “vital” debut, Sheena Patel’s I’m a Fan discusses the complex nature of human relationships, power struggles and patriarchal societal norms. It’s said to be a dazzling novel, angry, and vengeful in its prose. Patel is part of the poetry collective 4 BROWN GIRLS WHO WRITE alongside Roshni Goyate, Sharan Hunjan, and Sunnah Khan, and her writing has been highly commended by The Observer’s New Review.
I’m a Fan will be released in May.
Julie Owen Moylan
Julie Owen Moylan’s previous short stories have been published in New Welsh Review, Horizon Literary Review, and The Voice of Women in Wales Anthology. The Welsh writer’s debut full-length novel, That Green-Eyed Girl, transports you to the same apartment in New York City in two different time periods – the 1950s and the 1970s – where a story of lies, deceit and intrigue leaves you completely hooked and craving more.
That Green-Eyed Girl will be released in May.
Claire Kohda
Woman, Eating follows Lydia, a young gallery intern in London whose appetite for blood causes the deep confusion of her own moral compass. Claire Kohda’s delicious debut is a modern-day vampire tale that touches on race, misogyny, and body image in an eccentric yet tragic way.
Woman, Eating will be released in March.
Susan Stokes-Chapman
There is rising popularity for mythology in fiction as of late, with the likes of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Millerand Ariadne by Jennifer Saint receiving immense praise in recent years. Susan Stokes-Chapman’s Pandora is the latest to appear on bookshelves across the nation, in the form of a retelling of the classic tale of Pandora’s Box set against the backdrop of 18th Century London, where a curious mystery and captivating romance ensue.
Pandora is out now.
Lucy Foley
Hailed as a 21st century Agatha Christie, Lucy Foley’s novels are nothing short of mysterious. Her previous novel, The Guest List, was a New York Times bestseller. This year, Foley has released her latest book of intrigue, The Paris Apartment, which sees a murder occur in an apartment block in Montmartre, and where – in classic Foley style – everyone is a suspect.
The Paris Apartment is out now.
Taylor Jenkins Reid
You may have seen Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo everywhere online recently. Her other works, including Daisy Jones & The Six and last year’s Malibu Rising are also both New York Times bestsellers with the hotly anticipated adaptation of Daisy Jones coming later this year. After a surprise announcement earlier this year, Jenkins Reid is back already with Carrie Soto is Back, the story of tennis superstar Carrie Soto, who is determined to hold onto her Grand Slam title.
Carrie Soto is Back will be released in August.
Candice Carty-Williams
Candice Carty-Williams’ beloved debut novel, Queenie, received phenomenal praise and now the author returns with her next novel, People Person. People Person follows 30-year-old Dimple Pennington, whose life isn’t quite going the way she thought it might. When a dramatic event brings her estranged family together, Dimple’s life gets even more complicated.
People Person will be released in April.
Hanya Yanigihara
Surprising bestseller A Little Life has become an instant classic so it’s no surprise that Hanya Yanigihara’s latest lengthy novel, To Paradise, has received similar treatment. To Paradise is comprised of three stories, linked by recurring elements and themes, showcasing just how connected we are to our past as we are to our future.
To Paradise is out now.
Maggie O’Farrell
The Marriage Portrait is Maggie O’Farrell’s latest historical fiction hit and is sure to cause the same splash as her 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction winner, Hamnet. In her latest novel, O’Farrell explores Renaissance Italy and the story of Cosimo de’ Medici’s third daughter, Lucrezia, who unexpectedly must quickly come to terms with the spotlight of Florence’s court following the death of her older sister.
The Marriage Portrait will be released in September.
Words by Ellie Croston
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