Lesbian fiction
Encyclopedia
Lesbian fiction is a subgenre of fiction
that involves one or more primary female homosexual character(s) and lesbian
themes. Novels that fall into this category may be of any genres, such as, but not limited to, historical fiction
, science fiction
, fantasy
, horror
, and romance
.
recognised as having a lesbian theme is Radclyffe Hall
's The Well of Loneliness
(1928), which a British court found obscene because it defended "unnatural practices between women". The book was banned in Britain for decades; this is in the context of the similar censorship of Lady Chatterley's Lover
, which also had a theme of transgressive female sexuality, albeit heterosexual. In the United States
The Well of Loneliness survived legal challenges in New York and the Customs Court. A deeper examination of many classic novels and texts reveals lesbian-focused characters.
Lesbian fiction saw a huge explosion in interest with the advent of the dime-store or pulp fiction
novel. Lesbian pulp fiction
became its own distinct category of fiction, although a significant number of authors of this genre were men using either a male or female pen name
. The feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s
saw a more accepted entry of lesbian-themed literature.
Lesbian literature includes works by lesbian
authors, as well as lesbian-themed works by heterosexual authors. Even works by lesbian writers that do not deal with lesbian themes are still often considered lesbian literature. Works by heterosexual writers which treat lesbian themes only in passing, on the other hand, are not often regarded as lesbian literature.
The fundamental work of lesbian literature is the poetry of Sappho of Lesbos. From various ancient writings, historians have gathered that a group of young women were left in Sappho's charge for their instruction or cultural edification. Not much of Sappho's poetry remains, but that which does demonstrates the topics she wrote about: women's daily lives, their relationships, and rituals. She focused on the beauty of women and proclaimed her love for girls.
Certain works have established historical or artistic importance, and the world of lesbian fiction continues to grow and change as time goes on. Until recently, contemporary lesbian literature has been centered around several small, exclusively lesbian presses, as well as online fandoms. However since the new Millennium began, many lesbian presses have branched out to include the works of trans-men and -women, gay and bisexual voices, and other queer works not represented by the mainstream press.
Works of lesbian literature are sometimes difficult to find if they are not published by small lesbian presses. There has always been a general lack of promotion of lesbian themes by mainstream publishers, and the small presses lack the funding to get the word out. An exhaustive list of works cannot be provided here, but key works in different genres are listed.
, the main character is a girl from the West Indies. The novel tells the story of her relationship with another girl. Other young adult novels with lesbian characters and themes that were published during this time include Sandra Scoppettone
's Happy Endings Are All Alike (1978). According to the author, it "barely got reviewed and when it did it wasn't good," unlike Scoppettone's novel about gay boys, which was better received.
Frequent themes in books published during the 1970s are that homosexuality is a "phase," or that there are no "happy endings" for gay people, and that they generally lead a difficult life.
The School Library Journal reported,
Judy Blume
has been cited as a catalyst in the 1970s for an increase in inclusion of "taboo" topics in children's literature, which include homosexuality.
's Annie on My Mind
, published in 1982, tells the story of two high school girls who fall in love. The novel, which has never been out of print, was a step forward for homosexuality in young adult literature. It was published in hardback and by a major press. In the book, homosexuality is seen as something permanent and to be explored, not "fixed."
In Kansas, a minister led a public burning of Annie on My Mind following a controversy after it was donated to a school library.
included Annie on My Mind in its list of the top 100 most influential books of the century.
In the past, most books portrayed gay people as "living isolated lives, out of context with the reality of an amazingly active community." Today books have progressed, with gay characters not as stigmatized and separate.
There are fewer books about female homosexuality than male homosexuality, and yet fewer books on bisexuality are published. Despite the fact that availability of books with teen lesbian and bisexual themes has increased since the 1960s, books with non-white characters are still difficult to find.
, which published the seminal lesbian romance novel Curious Wine by Katherine V. Forrest
and many other books. The press closed in 2003 after 31 years. Co-founder Barbara Grier
handed off her books and operation to a newly established press, Bella Books
which is still going strong today. Other early publishers include Spinsters Ink, Rising Tide
, Crossing Press, Seal Press and New Victoria. In many cases, these presses were operated by authors who also published with the press, such as Barbara Wilson
at Seal Press which became part of the mainstream company, Avalon, and Joan Drury at Spinsters Ink, which has been sold a couple of times and now is part of the Bella Books
organization.
The current largest publishers of lesbian fiction are Bella Books
, Bold Strokes Books
, and Regal Crest Enterprises
. Bella Books
, established in 2001, acquired the Naiad backlist, including the majority of works by Jane Rule
and all the works of Karin Kallmaker
. Their catalog includes over 300 titles of lesbian romance, lesbian mystery, and erotica. Bold Strokes Books
established in 2005, publishes lesbian and gay male mystery, thrillers, sci-fi, adventure, and other LGBT
genre books. Their catalog includes 130 titles. Regal Crest Enterprises
, established in 1999, has a catalog currently exceeding 100 works, and they publish lesbian romance, lesbian mystery, some erotica, sci-fi, fantasy, and sagas.
Smaller publishers of exclusively lesbian fiction include Blue Feather
, Bywater Books, Intaglio Publications, Colbere Publishing and PD Publishing. Some women's presses also produce lesbian fiction, such as Firebrand Books
and Virago Press
.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
that involves one or more primary female homosexual character(s) and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
themes. Novels that fall into this category may be of any genres, such as, but not limited to, historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
, and romance
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
.
History
The first novel in the English languageEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
recognised as having a lesbian theme is Radclyffe Hall
Radclyffe Hall
Radclyffe Hall was an English poet and author, best known for the lesbian classic The Well of Loneliness.- Life :...
's The Well of Loneliness
The Well of Loneliness
The Well of Loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the British author Radclyffe Hall. It follows the life of Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman from an upper-class family whose "sexual inversion" is apparent from an early age...
(1928), which a British court found obscene because it defended "unnatural practices between women". The book was banned in Britain for decades; this is in the context of the similar censorship of Lady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover is a novel by D. H. Lawrence, first published in 1928. The first edition was printed privately in Florence, Italy with assistance from Pino Orioli; it could not be published openly in the United Kingdom until 1960...
, which also had a theme of transgressive female sexuality, albeit heterosexual. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
The Well of Loneliness survived legal challenges in New York and the Customs Court. A deeper examination of many classic novels and texts reveals lesbian-focused characters.
Lesbian fiction saw a huge explosion in interest with the advent of the dime-store or pulp fiction
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
novel. Lesbian pulp fiction
Lesbian pulp fiction
Lesbian pulp fiction refers to any mid-20th century paperback novel with overtly lesbian themes and content. Lesbian pulp fiction was published in the 1950s and 60s by many of the same paperback publishing houses that other genres of fiction including Westerns, Romances, and Detective Fiction...
became its own distinct category of fiction, although a significant number of authors of this genre were men using either a male or female pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
. The feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s
Second-wave feminism
The Feminist Movement, or the Women's Liberation Movement in the United States refers to a period of feminist activity which began during the early 1960s and lasted through the early 1990s....
saw a more accepted entry of lesbian-themed literature.
Lesbian literature
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
authors, as well as lesbian-themed works by heterosexual authors. Even works by lesbian writers that do not deal with lesbian themes are still often considered lesbian literature. Works by heterosexual writers which treat lesbian themes only in passing, on the other hand, are not often regarded as lesbian literature.
The fundamental work of lesbian literature is the poetry of Sappho of Lesbos. From various ancient writings, historians have gathered that a group of young women were left in Sappho's charge for their instruction or cultural edification. Not much of Sappho's poetry remains, but that which does demonstrates the topics she wrote about: women's daily lives, their relationships, and rituals. She focused on the beauty of women and proclaimed her love for girls.
Certain works have established historical or artistic importance, and the world of lesbian fiction continues to grow and change as time goes on. Until recently, contemporary lesbian literature has been centered around several small, exclusively lesbian presses, as well as online fandoms. However since the new Millennium began, many lesbian presses have branched out to include the works of trans-men and -women, gay and bisexual voices, and other queer works not represented by the mainstream press.
Works of lesbian literature are sometimes difficult to find if they are not published by small lesbian presses. There has always been a general lack of promotion of lesbian themes by mainstream publishers, and the small presses lack the funding to get the word out. An exhaustive list of works cannot be provided here, but key works in different genres are listed.
1970s
In Ruby (1976) by Rosa GuyRosa Guy
Rosa Cuthbert Guy is an American writer.-Biography:Rosa Guy was raised in Harlem from the age of seven and now lives in New York. She immigrated to Harlem, New York in 1932. Soon after her parents, Henry and Audrey Cuthbert, died, she and her sister went to many foster homes...
, the main character is a girl from the West Indies. The novel tells the story of her relationship with another girl. Other young adult novels with lesbian characters and themes that were published during this time include Sandra Scoppettone
Sandra Scoppettone
Sandra Scoppettone is an American author whose career spans the 1960s through the 2000s. She is known for her mystery and young adult books.She also wrote Suzuki Beane...
's Happy Endings Are All Alike (1978). According to the author, it "barely got reviewed and when it did it wasn't good," unlike Scoppettone's novel about gay boys, which was better received.
Frequent themes in books published during the 1970s are that homosexuality is a "phase," or that there are no "happy endings" for gay people, and that they generally lead a difficult life.
The School Library Journal reported,
Judy Blume
Judy Blume
Judy Blume is an American author. She has written many novels for children and young adults which have exceeded sales of 80 million and been translated into 31 languages...
has been cited as a catalyst in the 1970s for an increase in inclusion of "taboo" topics in children's literature, which include homosexuality.
1980s
Nancy GardenNancy Garden
Nancy Garden is an American author of children's and young adult literature.- Biography :She is best known for her novel, Annie on My Mind , which was critically acclaimed but attracted controversy because of its lesbian characters, Annie and Liza who fall in love...
's Annie on My Mind
Annie on My Mind
Annie On My Mind is a 1982 novel by Nancy Garden about the romantic relationship between two 17-year-old New York City girls, Annie and Liza.-Characters:...
, published in 1982, tells the story of two high school girls who fall in love. The novel, which has never been out of print, was a step forward for homosexuality in young adult literature. It was published in hardback and by a major press. In the book, homosexuality is seen as something permanent and to be explored, not "fixed."
In Kansas, a minister led a public burning of Annie on My Mind following a controversy after it was donated to a school library.
1990s
During this decade the number of lesbian-themed young adult novels published rose. Nancy Garden published two novels with lesbian protagonists, Lark in the Morning (1991) and Good Moon Rising, and received positive sales and reviews. In 1994, M.E. Kerr published Deliver Us From Evie, about a boy with a lesbian sister, which was well received by the public. Other books published during this decade include Dive by Stacey Donovan (1996), The Necessary Hunger (1997) by Nina Revoyr, The House You Pass On the Way (1997) by Jacqueline Woodson, Girl Walking Backwards (1998) by Bett Williams, who intended the novel for an adult audience though it was popular among teens, Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger (1999), and Dare Truth or Promise (1999) by Paula Boock.2000s
The 1990s represented a turning point for young adult novels that explored lesbian issues, and since 2000, a flood of such books has reached the market. The public attitude towards lesbian themes in young adult literature has grown more accepting. In 2000, the School Library JournalSchool Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
included Annie on My Mind in its list of the top 100 most influential books of the century.
In the past, most books portrayed gay people as "living isolated lives, out of context with the reality of an amazingly active community." Today books have progressed, with gay characters not as stigmatized and separate.
There are fewer books about female homosexuality than male homosexuality, and yet fewer books on bisexuality are published. Despite the fact that availability of books with teen lesbian and bisexual themes has increased since the 1960s, books with non-white characters are still difficult to find.
Publishers
The first lesbian publisher devoted to publishing lesbian and feminist books was Naiad PressNaiad press
Naiad Press was one of the first publishing companies dedicated to lesbian literature. At its closing it was the oldest and largest lesbian/feminist publisher in the world.-History:...
, which published the seminal lesbian romance novel Curious Wine by Katherine V. Forrest
Katherine V. Forrest
Katherine V. Forrest is an American writer.Forrest is best known for her eight novels about lesbian police detective Kate Delafield. The character was the very first lesbian police detective in the American lesbian mystery genre and is described as "Miss Marple with k.d...
and many other books. The press closed in 2003 after 31 years. Co-founder Barbara Grier
Barbara Grier
Barbara Grier was an American writer and publisher most widely known for co-founding Naiad Press and writing and editing The Ladder under the pseudonym Gene Damon.-Early life:...
handed off her books and operation to a newly established press, Bella Books
Bella Books
Bella Books is a small press publisher of lesbian literature that is based in Tallahassee, Florida. The chief executive officer is Linda Hill, who is also the chief executive officer of Spinsters Ink and BeanPole Books....
which is still going strong today. Other early publishers include Spinsters Ink, Rising Tide
Rising Tide
Rising Tide may refer to:*Rising Tide North America, a group based in North America*The Rising Tide , a 2000 album by Sunny Day Real Estate*The Rising Tide , a 1949 Canadian documentary film...
, Crossing Press, Seal Press and New Victoria. In many cases, these presses were operated by authors who also published with the press, such as Barbara Wilson
Barbara Wilson
Barbara Wilson is an African American singer, she is considered a "Hook Singer", singing the hooks on several classic West Coast hip hop songs. She was born in Hawthorne, California August 8, 1973. She is known best for her sensual soulful voice, most notably on the classic 1995 Dr.Dre song "Keep...
at Seal Press which became part of the mainstream company, Avalon, and Joan Drury at Spinsters Ink, which has been sold a couple of times and now is part of the Bella Books
Bella Books
Bella Books is a small press publisher of lesbian literature that is based in Tallahassee, Florida. The chief executive officer is Linda Hill, who is also the chief executive officer of Spinsters Ink and BeanPole Books....
organization.
The current largest publishers of lesbian fiction are Bella Books
Bella Books
Bella Books is a small press publisher of lesbian literature that is based in Tallahassee, Florida. The chief executive officer is Linda Hill, who is also the chief executive officer of Spinsters Ink and BeanPole Books....
, Bold Strokes Books
Bold Strokes Books
Bold Strokes Books is a United States publisher headquartered in Johnsonville, New York that specializes in lesbian-themed fiction, covering a variety of genres including action/adventure, erotica, mystery, romance and science fiction/horror, as well as general fiction...
, and Regal Crest Enterprises
Regal Crest Enterprises
Regal Crest Enterprises, established 1999, is the third largest small press publisher of lesbian literature in the world. RCE is based in Port Arthur, Texas. The chief executive officer is C. LeNoir....
. Bella Books
Bella Books
Bella Books is a small press publisher of lesbian literature that is based in Tallahassee, Florida. The chief executive officer is Linda Hill, who is also the chief executive officer of Spinsters Ink and BeanPole Books....
, established in 2001, acquired the Naiad backlist, including the majority of works by Jane Rule
Jane Rule
Jane Vance Rule, CM, OBC was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed novels and non-fiction.-Biography:Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Jane Vance Rule was the oldest daughter of Carlotta Jane and Arthur Richards Rule. She claimed she was a tomboy growing up and felt like an outsider for reaching six...
and all the works of Karin Kallmaker
Karin Kallmaker
Karin Kallmaker is the prolific American author of lesbian fiction whose works also include those originally written under the name Laura Adams. Her writings span lesbian romance, lesbian erotica, and lesbian science-fiction/fantasy...
. Their catalog includes over 300 titles of lesbian romance, lesbian mystery, and erotica. Bold Strokes Books
Bold Strokes Books
Bold Strokes Books is a United States publisher headquartered in Johnsonville, New York that specializes in lesbian-themed fiction, covering a variety of genres including action/adventure, erotica, mystery, romance and science fiction/horror, as well as general fiction...
established in 2005, publishes lesbian and gay male mystery, thrillers, sci-fi, adventure, and other LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
genre books. Their catalog includes 130 titles. Regal Crest Enterprises
Regal Crest Enterprises
Regal Crest Enterprises, established 1999, is the third largest small press publisher of lesbian literature in the world. RCE is based in Port Arthur, Texas. The chief executive officer is C. LeNoir....
, established in 1999, has a catalog currently exceeding 100 works, and they publish lesbian romance, lesbian mystery, some erotica, sci-fi, fantasy, and sagas.
Smaller publishers of exclusively lesbian fiction include Blue Feather
Blue Feather
"Blue Feather" is a popular song written in 1909 with music by Theodore F. Morse and lyrics by Jack Mahoney. In the song the singer is expressing his love for sweet Blue Feather. The chorus is:-External links:...
, Bywater Books, Intaglio Publications, Colbere Publishing and PD Publishing. Some women's presses also produce lesbian fiction, such as Firebrand Books
Firebrand Books
Firebrand Books, was established in the early 1980s by Nancy K. Bereano---a lesbian/feminist activist in Ithaca, NY. It is a feminist and lesbian publishing house and among the many which grew out of the Women's Press Movement. Other presses of that period include Naiad Books, Persephone and...
and Virago Press
Virago Press
Virago is a British publishing company founded in 1973 by Carmen Callil to publish books by women writers. Both new works and reissued books by neglected authors have featured on the imprint's list....
.
Notable works
- The Well of LonelinessThe Well of LonelinessThe Well of Loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the British author Radclyffe Hall. It follows the life of Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman from an upper-class family whose "sexual inversion" is apparent from an early age...
, Radclyffe HallRadclyffe HallRadclyffe Hall was an English poet and author, best known for the lesbian classic The Well of Loneliness.- Life :...
(1928) - The Price of SaltThe Price of SaltThe Price of Salt is a romance novel by Patricia Highsmith, written under the pseudonym Claire Morgan. The author – known as a suspense writer following the publication of her previous book, Strangers on a Train – became notorious due to the story's latent lesbian content and happy...
, Patricia HighsmithPatricia HighsmithPatricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short-story writer most widely known for her psychological thrillers, which led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times, notably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951...
(1952) - Spring FireSpring FireSpring Fire, is a 1952 paperback novel written by Marijane Meaker, under the pseudonym "Vin Packer". It is often considered to be the first lesbian pulp novel, although it also addresses issues of conformity in 1950s American society...
, Vin Packer (1952) - Rempart des Béguines, Françoise Mallet-JorisFrançoise Mallet-JorisFrançoise Mallet-Joris is the nom de plume of Françoise Lilar.She was born in Antwerp, the daughter of the writer Suzanne Lilar and the Belgian Minister of Justice and Minister of State Albert Lilar, and the sister of the 18th century art historian Marie Fredericq-Lilar...
(1952) - Chocolates for Breakfast, Pamela Moore (author)Pamela Moore (author)Pamela Moore was an American writer educated at Rosemary Hall and Barnard College. Her first book, Chocolates for Breakfast, was published when she was 18 and became an international best seller...
(1957) - The Beebo Brinker Chronicles, Ann BannonAnn BannonAnn Bannon is an American author who, from 1957 to 1962, wrote six lesbian pulp fiction novels known as The Beebo Brinker Chronicles. The books' enduring popularity and impact on lesbian identity has earned her the title "Queen of Lesbian Pulp Fiction"...
(1957–1962) - Desert of the HeartDesert of the HeartDesert of the Heart is a 1964 lesbian-themed novel written by Jane Rule. The story was adapted loosely into the 1985 film Desert Hearts, directed by Donna Deitch. The book was originally published in hardback by Macmillan Canada...
, Jane RuleJane RuleJane Vance Rule, CM, OBC was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed novels and non-fiction.-Biography:Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Jane Vance Rule was the oldest daughter of Carlotta Jane and Arthur Richards Rule. She claimed she was a tomboy growing up and felt like an outsider for reaching six...
(1964) - Patience & Sarah, Isabel Miller (1971)
- Rubyfruit JungleRubyfruit JungleRubyfruit Jungle is the first novel by Rita Mae Brown, remarkable, in its day, for its explicit lesbianism. The novel is a bildungsroman/autobiographical account of Brown's youth and emergence as a lesbian author...
, Rita Mae BrownRita Mae BrownRita Mae Brown is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel Rubyfruit Jungle. Published in 1973, it dealt with lesbian themes in an explicit manner unusual for the time...
(1973) - The Swashbuckler, Lee Lynch (1983)
- Oranges Are Not the Only FruitOranges Are Not the Only FruitOranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a novel by Jeanette Winterson published in 1985, which she subsequently adapted into a BBC television drama...
, Jeanette WintersonJeanette WintersonJeanette Winterson OBE is a British novelist.-Early years:Winterson was born in Manchester and adopted on 21 January 1960. She was raised in Accrington, Lancashire, by Constance and John William Winterson...
(1985) - Memory Board, Jane RuleJane RuleJane Vance Rule, CM, OBC was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed novels and non-fiction.-Biography:Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Jane Vance Rule was the oldest daughter of Carlotta Jane and Arthur Richards Rule. She claimed she was a tomboy growing up and felt like an outsider for reaching six...
(1985) - Tipping the VelvetTipping the VelvetTipping the Velvet is an historical novel written by Sarah Waters published in 1998. Set in Victorian England during the 1890s, it tells a coming of age story about a young woman named Nan who falls in love with a male impersonator, follows her to London, and finds various ways to support herself...
, Sarah WatersSarah WatersSarah Waters is a British novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society, such as Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith.-Childhood:Sarah Waters was born in Neyland, Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1966....
(1998) - FingersmithFingersmith (novel)Fingersmith is a 2002 Victorian-inspired crime fiction novel by Sarah Waters.-Part one:Sue Trinder, an orphan raised in 'a Fagin-like den of thieves' by her adoptive mother, Mrs. Sucksby, is sent to help Richard 'Gentleman' Rivers seduce a wealthy heiress. Posing as a maid, Sue is to gain the trust...
, Sarah WatersSarah WatersSarah Waters is a British novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society, such as Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith.-Childhood:Sarah Waters was born in Neyland, Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1966....
(2002) - Garis Tepi Seorang Lesbian, HerlinatiensHerlinatiensHerlinatiens is an author from Indonesia.-Biography:Herlinatiens' first novel, Garis Tepi Seorang Lesbian, is about a lesbian who is discriminated against by her culture and family. The book's first run sold out quickly and the publisher started a second run two weeks later...
(2003) - The Bermudez Triangle, Maureen JohnsonMaureen JohnsonMaureen Johnson is an American author of young adult fiction. She has published eight young adult novels to date, including the Suite Scarlett series and The Last Little Blue Envelope. Johnson is also the founder of the political networking site .-Early life:Maureen Johnson is a graduate of the...
(2004)
Notable authors (alphabetically)
- Sarah AldridgeSarah AldridgeSarah Aldridge was the pen name of Anyda Marchant , who was a founding partner for Naiad Press 1973 and A&M Books in 1995, and a writer of primarily lesbian popular fiction....
- Kelli Jae Baeli
- Ann BannonAnn BannonAnn Bannon is an American author who, from 1957 to 1962, wrote six lesbian pulp fiction novels known as The Beebo Brinker Chronicles. The books' enduring popularity and impact on lesbian identity has earned her the title "Queen of Lesbian Pulp Fiction"...
- Georgia Beers
- Rita Mae BrownRita Mae BrownRita Mae Brown is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel Rubyfruit Jungle. Published in 1973, it dealt with lesbian themes in an explicit manner unusual for the time...
- Ellen DeanEllen DeanEllen Dean is a novelist, screenwriter and journalist from County Durham, England.Before she published her first novel, Beautiful Strangers in 2009, Dean wrote features for national magazines and regional newspapers...
- Mayra Lazara Dole
- Emma DonoghueEmma DonoghueEmma Donoghue is an Irish-born playwright, literary historian and novelist now living in Canada. Her 2010 novel Room was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize and an international bestseller. Donoghue's 1995 novel Hood won the Stonewall Book Award and Slammerkin won the Ferro-Grumley Award for...
- Sarah DreherSarah DreherSarah Dreher is an American lesbian novelist and playwright, and best known for her award-winning lesbian mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Stoner McTavish. Dreher was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1937, and resides in Amherst, Massachusetts....
- Katherine V. ForrestKatherine V. ForrestKatherine V. Forrest is an American writer.Forrest is best known for her eight novels about lesbian police detective Kate Delafield. The character was the very first lesbian police detective in the American lesbian mystery genre and is described as "Miss Marple with k.d...
- Anna FurtadoAnna FurtadoAnna Furtado is an American author of The Briarcrest Chronicles and other lesbian fiction. The Heart’s Desire – Book One of The Briarcrest Chronicles was a finalist for the Golden Crown Literary Society Award in the romance category. The second novel in the Briarcrest series is entitled The...
- JaeJaeJae is a South African pop singer. Her debut solo single "Missing You" achieved several number-one placings over a range of radio categories....
- Jocelyne FrançoisJocelyne FrançoisJocelyne François is a French writer. She is the author of five lesbian novels, and winner of the Prix Femina.-Career:...
- Jeanne GalzyJeanne GalzyJeanne Galzy , born Louise Jeanne Baraduc, was a French novelist and biographer from Montpellier. She was a member of the jury for the Prix Femina...
- Nancy GardenNancy GardenNancy Garden is an American author of children's and young adult literature.- Biography :She is best known for her novel, Annie on My Mind , which was critically acclaimed but attracted controversy because of its lesbian characters, Annie and Liza who fall in love...
- Rosa GuyRosa GuyRosa Cuthbert Guy is an American writer.-Biography:Rosa Guy was raised in Harlem from the age of seven and now lives in New York. She immigrated to Harlem, New York in 1932. Soon after her parents, Henry and Audrey Cuthbert, died, she and her sister went to many foster homes...
- Radclyffe HallRadclyffe HallRadclyffe Hall was an English poet and author, best known for the lesbian classic The Well of Loneliness.- Life :...
- Ellen HartEllen HartEllen Hart is the award-winning mystery author of the Jane Lawless and Sophie Greenaway series. She was born in Minneapolis, MN in August 1949. A professional chef for 14 years, Hart's mysteries include culinary elements similar to those of Diane Mott Davidson.The author says of her work, "I don't...
- Karin KallmakerKarin KallmakerKarin Kallmaker is the prolific American author of lesbian fiction whose works also include those originally written under the name Laura Adams. Her writings span lesbian romance, lesbian erotica, and lesbian science-fiction/fantasy...
- Marijane Meaker (who also publishes as Vin Packer, Ann Aldrich, M. E. Kerr, Mary James, & Laura Winston)
- KG MacGregor
- Lori L. LakeLori L. LakeLori L. Lake is an Oregon writer, teacher, speaker, and author of mystery, drama, romance, and general fiction, most of which is about lesbian protagonists...
- Lee Lynch
- Val McDermidVal McDermidVal McDermid is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of suspense novels starring her most famous creation, Dr. Tony Hill.-Biography:...
- Julie Anne PetersJulie Anne Peters-Personal life:Julie Anne Peters was born in Jamestown, New York, on 16 January 1952. When she was five, her family moved to the Denver suburbs in Colorado. Her parents divorced when she was in high school...
- Jane RuleJane RuleJane Vance Rule, CM, OBC was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed novels and non-fiction.-Biography:Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Jane Vance Rule was the oldest daughter of Carlotta Jane and Arthur Richards Rule. She claimed she was a tomboy growing up and felt like an outsider for reaching six...
- SapphoSapphoSappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...
- Sandra ScoppettoneSandra ScoppettoneSandra Scoppettone is an American author whose career spans the 1960s through the 2000s. She is known for her mystery and young adult books.She also wrote Suzuki Beane...
- Sarah WatersSarah WatersSarah Waters is a British novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society, such as Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith.-Childhood:Sarah Waters was born in Neyland, Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1966....
- Jeanette WintersonJeanette WintersonJeanette Winterson OBE is a British novelist.-Early years:Winterson was born in Manchester and adopted on 21 January 1960. She was raised in Accrington, Lancashire, by Constance and John William Winterson...
- Jacqueline WoodsonJacqueline WoodsonJacqueline Woodson is an American author who writes books targeted at children and adolescents. She is best known for 'Miracle's Boys' which won the Coretta Scott King Award in 2001 and her Newbery Honor titles 'After Tupac & D Foster', 'Feathers' and 'Show Way'...
See also
- Lesbian pulp fictionLesbian pulp fictionLesbian pulp fiction refers to any mid-20th century paperback novel with overtly lesbian themes and content. Lesbian pulp fiction was published in the 1950s and 60s by many of the same paperback publishing houses that other genres of fiction including Westerns, Romances, and Detective Fiction...
- LGBT themes in speculative fiction
- List of LGBT-themed speculative fiction
- Gay literature
- Yuri (genre)
- List of books portraying sexual relations between women
External links
- Lesbian Fiction Herstory
- Lesbian Mysteries features Lesbian Mystery Novels
- Lesbian Literary Organization Golden Crown Literary Society: Features Lesbian Authors and Publishers