Neil Gaiman on Women Writers Who Inspired Him
At a journalism conference on April 2, literary journalist Gay Talese could not name a single woman writer who has inspired him, and the Internet went into a frenzy. Zero inspirational women writers or journalists? We think not. (In fact, we've put together list after list after list of books by or about some of the most influential and inspirational women in history.)
Talese has since clarified his comments, but in the wake of the initial statement author Neil Gaiman gave us one more reason to love him: he fired back by tweeting a lengthy (but nonexhaustive) list of women writers who have inspired him.
Women writers who inspired me: Enid Blyton, Richmal Crompton, PL Travers, Margaret Storey, Ursula LeGuin, Baroness Orczy, Diana Wynne Jones
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) April 5, 2016
More women writers who inspired me: Wilmar Shiras, Shirley Jackson, Lisa Tuttle, Mary Shelley, Anne Rice, Scheherazade, Judith Merrill...
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) April 5, 2016
Even More Women Writers Who Inspired Me: Joanna Russ, Hope Mirrlees, Joy Chant, Angela Carter, Madeleine L’Engle, James Tiptree Jr, Kit Reed
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) April 5, 2016
Even EVEN more women writers who inspired me: Dorothy Parker, Stevie Smith, Evangeline Walton, Zora Neale Hurston, Lucy Clifford, E. Nesbit
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) April 5, 2016
All in no particular order, off the top of my head, and the most incomplete of lists. Inspired by this silliness: https://t.co/jUp9d55wVy
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) April 5, 2016
You can learn about some of those women (esp. Diana Wynne Jones and Hope Mirrlees) in THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS. https://t.co/2cWxz1Ku1V
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) April 5, 2016
If you're feeling like a bit of inspiration, here are NYPL catalogue links to writers Gaiman listed who are available in our collections:
- Enid Blyton
- Richmal Crompton
- P.L. Travers
- Margaret Storey
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- Baroness Orczy
- Diana Wynne Jones
- Wilmar Shiras
- Shirley Jackson
- Lisa Tuttle
- Mary Shelley
- Anne Rice
- Judith Merril
- Joanna Russ
- Hope Mirrlees
- Joy Chant
- Angela Carter
- Madeleine L’Engle
- James Tiptree Jr.
- Kit Reed
- Dorothy Parker
- Stevie Smith
- Evangeline Walton
- Zora Neale Hurston
- E. Nesbit
Which women writers have inspired you? Comment below to keep the list of spectacular writers growing!
And be sure to check out our 2014 talk with Neil Gaiman on the NYPL Podcast.
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Comments
More Inspiring Writers (who happen to be women)
Submitted by Elizabeth Rose ... (not verified) on April 6, 2016 - 5:30pm
Anne Tyler
Submitted by Susan Gavin-Leone (not verified) on April 7, 2016 - 9:24am
Jane Austen
Submitted by Susan Gavin-Leone (not verified) on April 7, 2016 - 9:46am
iinfluential women writers
Submitted by Scott Andrew Hu... (not verified) on April 8, 2016 - 8:31pm
My inspiring women writers
Submitted by Bess Metcalf (not verified) on April 9, 2016 - 6:34pm
Women Writers Who Inprire Me
Submitted by Vincent Bernard (not verified) on April 10, 2016 - 11:01am
Women Writers Who Inspire Me
Submitted by John Flood (not verified) on April 12, 2016 - 4:40pm
Virginia Woolf fan.
Submitted by John Glock (not verified) on March 8, 2018 - 12:49pm
Women writers who inspire me
Submitted by Lisa Beausoleil (not verified) on March 8, 2018 - 2:38pm