10 Essential Books Written by Queer Women to Add to Your To-Read List

1. Orlando by Virginia Woolf

Woolf, one of the most prolific queer female writers of all time, explores ideas around gender and sexuality through a historical sci-fi novel. The story follows the titular, Orlando, a poet who lives through centuries and goes from man to woman. A queer classic that has stood the test of time.

2. Annie on My Mind by Annie Garner

Set in New York City, two teenage girls, Annie and Liza, fall in love and navigate what this means for a same-sex couple in the early 1980s. At the time of publishing, the book received backlash from the right in America, but is now considered one of the most influential young adult novels of the 20th century.

3. Love, Death, and the Changing of the Seasons by Marilyn Hacker

This collection of poetry goes through a whole range of emotions, from the intensity of falling in love to their eventual parting. The sonnets are intense, but beautifully written, making it a must for any poetry loving queer woman.

4. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith

Now adapted into a critically acclaimed film starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, with a change of time to Carol, the novel tells the story of a lesbian romance in the 1950s. Given the time the novel was written, Highsmith released it under a pseudonym, Claire Morgan, as she did not want to be known as a "lesbian book writer." The Price of Salt was also one of the first lesbian novels with a happy ending, giving you an idea of the type of queer women’s novels being written at the time.

5. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

I first encountered this graphic novel in a module at university, and really enjoyed picking it apart. The book is littered with numerous references to queer texts gone by, look out for them in the illustrations, and I think many queer women can relate to this consumption of queer books and culture when you begin to explore your sexuality. The memoir recounts her childhood, focusing mainly on her complex relationship with her father, as well as her sexuality.

6. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

Published in 1985, this novel is a coming-of-age story about a lesbian girl, Jeanette, growing up in a Pentecostal Evangelist church and believes she is destined to become a missionary. This is then complicated she finds herself attracted to a girl.

7. The Book of Repulsive Women by Djuna Barnes

Barnes’s collection of poetry presents depictions of various women of the period, including a mother, prostitute, and cabaret dancer. The collection features drawings by Barnes herself, and brings together poems previously published in literary journals and pamphlets, allowing the reader to see the scope of Barnes’s work.

8. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde

This autobiography started a new genre, which Lorde calls, biomythography—a combination of biography, history, and myth. The combination allows for an enticing read, about life as an African American lesbian in the 1950s. Audre Lorde is a must-read for all queer women.

9. The Colour Purple by Alice Walker

It goes without saying that this book has become iconic, renowned for its hard hitting content and emotional writing. It’s now being taught in many schools. Walker explores the intersectionality of race, gender, background, and sexuality in the South in the 1930s. Despite the extensive abuse, the story is not without hope.

10. Movement in Black by Pat Parker

Published in 1990, this seminal poetry collection explores Parker’s identity and her experience as a black lesbian in America, connecting the personal with the political. As an active member of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, she recognises the importance of personal and political freedom. The book also features the poem "For Audre," written for Audre Lorde.