Novels don’t just entertain; the best ones are so influential they can change your lives.
Imagine stories that tackle human rights issues like To Kill a Mockingbird, which topped the list of the most influential books authored by women. Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction came up with the list through a social media campaign.
Second to Harper Lee’s book is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, which is a story set in a dystopian future about women being treated as mere possessions.
Jane Eyre by British Novelist Charlotte Bronte is another social criticism that entered the list on the third spot.
Every kid from whatever age has been waiting for a Hogwarts invitation dropped by an owl in their mail. But most of all, people have learned lessons of humanity, friendship and love through the Harry Potter franchise by J.K Rowling. Her book is also included in the list.
The list ranges from children’s literature to classics and romance to fiction.
Here are the top 20 novels written by some of the world’s most influential women:
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Harry Potter by KJ Rowling
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- The Secret History by Louisa May Alcott
- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
- The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- Middlemarch by George Eliot
- I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
- The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
- The Women’s Room by Marilyn French
