7 Must-Read Books from Women Authors Who Used Male Pseudonyms
March 19, 2025

The literary world has long been a battlefield for women seeking recognition. Before the 19th century, publishing under a woman’s name was not just discouraged—it was nearly impossible. Women were barred from universities, denied access to formal education, and often silenced in intellectual spaces.


This struggle is both vividly and humorously portrayed in modern takes on literary history, like the series Dickinson. While the show takes creative liberties in its depiction of the titular poet, it captures the frustration and obstacles women faced in making their voices heard.


In one scene, Emily Dickinson—portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld—reveals that one of her poems was published anonymously in a local paper. Her father erupts in anger, saying her actions could tarnish the reputation he had carefully built for the family


Though fictionalized, this moment reflects a reality that persisted even into the 1990s. For centuries, women had to fight for a place in the literary world, often resorting to male pseudonyms or publishing anonymously just to be taken seriously.


Many refused to let these barriers define them, using whatever means necessary to ensure their voices were heard. Let’s take a closer look at the women who defied the odds and shaped modern literature as we know it today.

1. To Kill A Mockingbird - Nelle Harper Lee 

(Published under the name Harper Lee)


Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is considered to be one of the most enduring works of American literature that weaved together themes of racial injustice, morality, and human empathy. 


Set in the backdrop of the Deep South in the 1930s, the story follows Scout Finch, a young girl whose father, Atticus Finch, defends a black man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman. Through Scout’s eyes, we witness the persistence of moral courage in the face of prejudice, and a deeply flawed legal system.


Lee, born Nelle Harper Lee, wrote the novel as a reflection of the racial tensions she herself observed growing up in Monroeville, Alabama. Despite its serious themes, To Kill a Mockingbird carries with it a warmth and humor that makes its message all the more palatable. 


1. To Kill A Mockingbird - Nelle Harper Lee 

(Published under the name Harper Lee)


Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is considered to be one of the most enduring works of American literature that weaved together themes of racial injustice, morality, and human empathy. 


Set in the backdrop of the Deep South in the 1930s, the story follows Scout Finch, a young girl whose father, Atticus Finch, defends a black man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman. Through Scout’s eyes, we witness the persistence of moral courage in the face of prejudice, and a deeply flawed legal system.


Lee, born Nelle Harper Lee, wrote the novel as a reflection of the racial tensions she herself observed growing up in Monroeville, Alabama. Despite its serious themes, To Kill a Mockingbird carries with it a warmth and humor that makes its message all the more palatable. 


2. Middlemarch - Mary Ann Evans

(Published under the name George Eliot)


Middlemarch follows the story of Dorothea Brooke, a bright and idealistic woman who, hoping to make a meaningful impact on the world, marries the much older scholar Edward Casaubon. She believes this union will allow her to engage in his intellectual work, only to find herself reduced to little more than a secretary, stifled and unfulfilled.


Another intertwined narrative follows Tertius Lydgate, an ambitious doctor who marries Rosamond Vincy, a woman who fits his ideal of femininity—docile, refined, and polished. However, Rosamond assumes Lydgate is wealthy and sees their marriage as a step up in society, only to be disappointed when financial struggles ensue.


In more ways than one, Middlemarch reflects the wildly unexplored, yet stark realities of the time—women marrying older, wealthier men, hoping for the freedom to pursue their own aspirations, only to find themselves trapped by societal expectations. 


Eliot’s commitment to realistic fiction was groundbreaking, as novels of the era often leaned toward romance or idealized portrayals of life. Instead, she delivered a nuanced, psychological exploration of marriage, ambition, and social constraints that made Middlemarch a literary landmark.


3. Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë

(Published under the name Ellis Bell)


Emily Brontë, writing as Ellis Bell crafted this controversially passionate tale of love, revenge, and obsession set against the untamed Yorkshire moors. 


The novel follows Heathcliff, an orphan taken in by the wealthy Earnshaw family, and his intense, all-consuming love for Catherine Earnshaw. When Catherine chooses to marry Edgar Linton for status and security, Heathcliff is consumed by bitterness setting off a cycle of vengeance that spans generations.


Wuthering Heights explored how love can become too all-consuming. Its emotional landscapes and morally ambiguous characters no doubt shocked Victorian readers who were unaccustomed to having raw, intense human emotions vividly depicted in print. 


Brontë published under a male pseudonym to avoid the biases against women writers, allowing her fiercely original work to be judged on its own merit.


3. Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë

(Published under the name Ellis Bell)


Emily Brontë, writing as Ellis Bell crafted this controversially passionate tale of love, revenge, and obsession set against the untamed Yorkshire moors. 


The novel follows Heathcliff, an orphan taken in by the wealthy Earnshaw family, and his intense, all-consuming love for Catherine Earnshaw. When Catherine chooses to marry Edgar Linton for status and security, Heathcliff is consumed by bitterness setting off a cycle of vengeance that spans generations.


Wuthering Heights explored how love can become too all-consuming. Its emotional landscapes and morally ambiguous characters no doubt shocked Victorian readers who were unaccustomed to having raw, intense human emotions vividly depicted in print. 


Brontë published under a male pseudonym to avoid the biases against women writers, allowing her fiercely original work to be judged on its own merit.


4. The Harry Potter Series - Joanne Rowling

(Published under the name J.K. Rowling)


Joanne Rowling, better known as J.K. Rowling created Harry Potter which is considered to have redefined modern fantasy literature. What set her writing apart was the intricate world-building, with fictional locations like Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and the wizarding world as a whole feeling as real as any historical setting.


Despite the series popularly marketed as a novel for kids and young adults, the series tackled deeply mature themes, such as the fight against oppression, propaganda, and warning against the dangers of unchecked power. 


Rowling chose to publish under J.K. Rowling rather than Joanne Rowling, as her publisher feared a female author’s name might deter young male readers. Regardless, Harry Potter became a literary phenomenon and sparked a fierce following that still endures today. 


5. Mary Poppins - Pamela Lyndon Travers / Helen Lyndon Goff

(Published under the name P.L. Travers)


You may know Mary Poppins as the Disney classic, but behind it was the very private P.L. Travers. Born Helen Lyndon Goff, she initially and briefly pursued acting under the name Pamela Lyndon Travers.


After her father’s death, Goff was thrust into the role of breadwinner at a young age, a responsibility that shaped much of her life. Seeking independence and a fresh start, she married a journalist and moved to England, where she reinvented herself as Pamela Lyndon Travers.


It was under this identity that she pursued writing, and in 1934, she introduced the world to Mary Poppins, a strict, enigmatic nanny, far from the warm Disney portrayal, who led the Banks children on surreal and magical adventures.


Over time, the books faced scrutiny for outdated racial depictions, leading to revisions. Yet Travers’ original vision remained intact. Her own transformation reflected the struggles of women carving out space in a world that refused to make room. Her identity, much like Mary Poppins herself, was a mix of authority, mystery, and quiet defiance. 



Check out the full list of recommendations here.

Audiobooks here.

5. Mary Poppins - Pamela Lyndon Travers / Helen Lyndon Goff

(Published under the name P.L. Travers)


You may know Mary Poppins as the Disney classic, but behind it was the very private P.L. Travers. Born Helen Lyndon Goff, she initially and briefly pursued acting under the name Pamela Lyndon Travers.


After her father’s death, Goff was thrust into the role of breadwinner at a young age, a responsibility that shaped much of her life. Seeking independence and a fresh start, she married a journalist and moved to England, where she reinvented herself as Pamela Lyndon Travers.


It was under this identity that she pursued writing, and in 1934, she introduced the world to Mary Poppins, a strict, enigmatic nanny, far from the warm Disney portrayal, who led the Banks children on surreal and magical adventures.


Over time, the books faced scrutiny for outdated racial depictions, leading to revisions. Yet Travers’ original vision remained intact. Her own transformation reflected the struggles of women carving out space in a world that refused to make room. Her identity, much like Mary Poppins herself, was a mix of authority, mystery, and quiet defiance. 


6. Indiana - Amantine Aurore Dupin

(Published under the name George Sand)


Before she became George Sand, she was Amantine Aurore Dupin. Dupin was mainly raised by her grandmother for most of her childhood, whose home set the backdrop of many of the novels she wrote.


Like many women in France and in other parts of the world during her time, she was expected to conform to rigid expectations of womanhood. Instead she defied conventions, by not just leaving her husband, but dressing as a man to gain access to male-dominated intellectual circles and live on her own as a writer.


Her first published novel, Indiana (1832), set the tone for her literary career. The novel follows Indiana, a young noblewoman trapped in an oppressive marriage to an older, controlling husband. Desperate for freedom and longing for passion, she is drawn to Raymon, a charming but ultimately self-serving man who exploits her vulnerability. 


Through Indiana’s struggles, Sand exposed the suffocating constraints placed on women, challenging the idea that marriage was their only destiny. 


At a time when women writing about female desire and autonomy risked backlash—or outright condemnation—publishing as George Sand gave her the freedom to challenge the very society that sought to silence her. 


7. The History of Sir Richard Calmady - Mary St. Leger Kingsley

(Published under the name Lucas Malet)


Before she became known as Lucas Malet, she was Mary St. Leger Kingsley, the daughter of Charles Kingsley, a prominent clergyman. Despite being born into an intellectual family with two of her uncles being writers, her path to literature was anything but direct.


Marriage to her father’s colleague, William Harrison, a vicar, confined her to domestic and clerical duties, forcing her to set aside her artistic ambitions. Only after they separated did she fully commit to writing, adopting the pen name Lucas Malet to establish herself independently.


Her most notable novel, The History of Sir Richard Calmady (1901), follows a nobleman whose life is shaped by a severe physical deformity. The character was inspired by Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh, an Irish aristocrat born without fully formed limbs. Despite his condition, Kavanagh learned to navigate life just as capably as anyone else—riding horses, hunting, and mastering everyday tasks in ways few thought possible, even going on to serve in Parliament.


Despite her literary achievements, Kingsley died in poverty. Several factors contributed to her decline, but a possible reason, as noted by her sole biographer, Patricia Lorimer Lundberg, was the critical reception of her later work. As her writing progressed beyond Victorian conventions, incorporating discussions of gender and sexuality that challenged traditional norms, critics became increasingly dismissive. 


Rather than embracing her complex and unconventional themes, they sought to place her back into a more familiar literary mold—one that she had long outgrown.




Check out the full list of recommendations here.

Audiobooks here.

7. The History of Sir Richard Calmady - Mary St. Leger Kingsley

(Published under the name Lucas Malet)


Before she became known as Lucas Malet, she was Mary St. Leger Kingsley, the daughter of Charles Kingsley, a prominent clergyman. Despite being born into an intellectual family with two of her uncles being writers, her path to literature was anything but direct.


Marriage to her father’s colleague, William Harrison, a vicar, confined her to domestic and clerical duties, forcing her to set aside her artistic ambitions. Only after they separated did she fully commit to writing, adopting the pen name Lucas Malet to establish herself independently.


Her most notable novel, The History of Sir Richard Calmady (1901), follows a nobleman whose life is shaped by a severe physical deformity. The character was inspired by Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh, an Irish aristocrat born without fully formed limbs. Despite his condition, Kavanagh learned to navigate life just as capably as anyone else—riding horses, hunting, and mastering everyday tasks in ways few thought possible, even going on to serve in Parliament.


Despite her literary achievements, Kingsley died in poverty. Several factors contributed to her decline, but a possible reason, as noted by her sole biographer, Patricia Lorimer Lundberg, was the critical reception of her later work. As her writing progressed beyond Victorian conventions, incorporating discussions of gender and sexuality that challenged traditional norms, critics became increasingly dismissive. 


Rather than embracing her complex and unconventional themes, they sought to place her back into a more familiar literary mold—one that she had long outgrown.


Man signing a book; woman smiles. Three books on a table, brick wall background.

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