List of Canadian women writers in French
This is a list of Canadian women writers in French who were born in Canada or whose writings in French are closely associated with that country.
It was in the mid-19th century that French-speaking women began to contribute to Canadian literature, partly as a result of growing Quebec patriotism but also because of the influence of the Catholic church and developments in education. Early contributors include the novelists Laure Conan and Gabrielle Roy and the poet Blanche Lamontagne-Beauregard. Women's greatest contribution has however been since the 1960s and above all since the 1980s, triggered by increased interest in feminism. Some sources have pointed to significant differences between English-Canadian and French-Canadian literature, resulting in part from the protected language identity of the Province of Quebec where French-language radio and television and pop-stars reinforce its insularity.
A
- Marie-Célie Agnant, poet, novelist and children's writer
- Francine Allard, educator, novelist, poet and visual artist
- Geneviève Amyot, poet and novelist
- Linda Amyot, novelist, short story writer, children's writer
- Marguerite Andersen, German-born French-language poet and editor
- Ginette Anfousse, writer and illustrator of children's books
- Nelly Arcan, novelist
- Suzanne Aubry, novelist, scriptwriter, playwright
- Aude, pen name of Claudette Charbonneau-Tissot, novelist, short story writer, children's writer
B
- Robertine Barry, journalist and publisher
- Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo, Ivorian-born poet and journalist
- Estelle Beauchamp, novelist
- Jacqueline Beaugé-Rosier, Haitian-born Canadian educator and writer
- Germaine Beaulieu, poet and novelist
- Nicole Bélanger, novelist and screenwriter
- Jovette Bernier, journalist and poet
- Louky Bersianik, pen name of Lucille Durand,, novelist
- Claudine Bertrand, educator and poet
- Lise Bissonnette, writer and journalist
- Marie-Claire Blais, novelist, poet and playwright
- Virginie Blanchette-Doucet, novelist
- Lise Blouin, educator and novelist
- France Boisvert, educator and writer
- Monique Bosco, Austrian-born Canadian journalist and writer
- Mylène Bouchard, novelist and non-fiction writer
- Lysette Brochu, novelist and short story writer
- Hélène Brodeur, educator, journalist and writer
- Nicole Brossard, poet and novelist
- Chrystine Brouillet, novelist
- Françoise Bujold, poet, radio playwright, artist and publisher
C
- Chantal Cadieux, playwright, novelist and screenwriter
- Catherine Chandler, poet and translator
- Lisa Carducci, poet, short story writer and novelist
- Claudine Chatel, actress and writer
- Évelyne de la Chenelière, playwright and actress
- Adrienne Choquette, journalist, editor, novelist, short story writer
- Andrée Christensen, educator, editor, poet and novelist
- Stéfanie Clermont, poet, novelist
- Anne Élaine Cliche, novelist, essayist
- Laure Conan, pen name of Marie-Louise-Félicité Angers,, first French-Canadian novelist
- Héloïse Côté, fantasy novelist, academic
- Reine-Aimée Côté, teacher, novelist
- Arlette Cousture, historical fiction writer
- Gracia Couturier, educator, children's writer, novelist and playwright
D
- Francine D'Amour, educator, novelist
- France Daigle, novelist and playwright
- Anne Dandurand, novelist and actress
- Diane-Monique Daviau, educator, writer, translator and journalist
- Carole David, poet and novelist
- Claire Dé, pen name of Claire Dandurand,, short story writer, playwright and novelist
- Corinne De Vailly, French-born Canadian novelist, children's writer
- Monique Deland, educator, journalist and poet
- Jeanne-Mance Delisle, playwright
- Denise Desautels, poet and playwright
- Sylvie Desrosiers, novelist, screenwriter
- Aurore Dessureault-Descôteaux, playwright
- Hélène Dorion, poet, novelist, essayist
- Christiane Duchesne, researcher, educator, illustrator, translator and novelist
- Louise Dupré, journalist, educator, poet, playwright and novelist
E
- Gloria Escomel, Uruguayan-born Canadian educator, novelist and playwright
F
- Abla Farhoud, Lebanese-born Canadian playwright and novelist
- Jocelyne Felx, literary critic and writer
- Madeleine Ferron, novelist
- Naomi Fontaine, novelist
- Dominique Fortier, novelist and translator
- Arlette Fortin, novelist
- Danielle Fournier, educator, poet, novelist and essayist
- Christiane Frenette, educator, poet and novelist
G
- Madeleine Gagnon, educator, literary critic and novelist
- Karoline Georges, novelist, short story writer, poet and children's writer
- Mylène Gilbert-Dumas, novelist
- Gabrielle Gourdeau, literary critic, novelist
- Germaine Guèvremont, journalist, novelist
H
- Hélène Harbec, poet, novelist
- Pauline Harvey, novelist
- Anne Hébert, poet, novelist, short story writer and playwright
- Nicole Houde, novelist and short story writer
J
- Suzanne Jacob, novelist, poet, playwright, singer-songwriter and critic
K
- Hélène Koscielniak, novelist
L
- Andrée Laberge, novelist
- Marie Laberge, actress, educator, poet and playwright
- Marie-Sissi Labrèche, screenwriter, novelist
- Claire de Lamirande, novelist, literary critic
- Michèle Laframboise, science fiction writer and comics artist
- Claire de Lamirande, novelist and literary critic
- Blanche Lamontagne-Beauregard, early Quebec poet
- Claudia Larochelle, journalist, radio host, columnist and novelist
- Monique LaRue, novelist, short story writer and essayist
- Mona Latif-Ghattas, Egyptian-born Canadian novelist, poet and short story writer
- Louise Leblanc, educator, novelist, screenwriter
- Perrine Leblanc, novelist
- Rachel Leclerc, poet and novelist
- Françoise Lepage, educator, non-fiction writer and children's writer
- Anne Legault, actress, playwright and educator
- Catherine Leroux, novelist, short story writer
- Marguerite Lescop, novelist
M
- Louise Maheux-Forcier, novelist
- Michèle Mailhot, novelist
- Andrée Maillet, short story writer, poet and novelist
- Antonine Maillet, novelist and playwright
- Jovette Marchessault, novelist, poet, playwright, painter and sculptor
- Michèle Marineau, novelist and translator
- Suzanne Martel, journalist, novelist and children's writer
- Claire Martin, short story writer, novelist, autobiographer
- Carole Massé, poet, novelist
- Marie-Sœurette Mathieu, Haitian-born Canadian teacher, poet and novelist
- Catherine Mavrikakis, novelist
- Julie Mazzieri, novelist and translator
- Andrée A. Michaud, novelist and playwright
- Pauline Michel, novelist, poet, playwright, songwriter and screenwriter
- Hélène Monette, poet
- Madeleine Monette, poet, novelist, short story writer and essayist
N
- Yvette Naubert, playwright and novelist
- Francine Noël, playwright and novelist
O
- Madeleine Ouellette-Michalska, novelist, essayist and diarist
- Francine Ouellette, novelist
- Hélène Ouvrard, playwright, novelist, poet and short story writer
P
- Suzanne Paradis, poet and novelist
- Alice Parizeau, Polish-born Canadian novelist
- Aline Poulin, poet and novelist
- Francine Pelletier, science fiction novelist and short story writer
- Maryse Pelletier, actress, playwright and novelist
- Stéphanie Pelletier, short story writer, novelist
- Geneviève Pettersen, novelist
- Anique Poitras, novelist
- Marie-Hélène Poitras, novelist and journalist
- Monique Proulx, novelist, short story writer and screenwriter
Q
- Judy Quinn, poet and novelist
- Pascale Quiviger, poet, novelist and essayist
R
- Bernadette Renaud, novelist and young people's writer
- Thérèse Renaud, actress, poet and novelist
- Aurélie Resch, travel writer, poet, novelist and short story writer
- Hélène Rioux, novelist and translator
- Dominique Robert, poet, novelist and short story writer
- Suzanne Robert, novelist, short story writer
- Régine Robin, novelist and non-fiction writer
- Esther Rochon, novelist, science fiction writer
- Maryse Rouy, French-born novelist
- Gabrielle Roy, influential novelist, educator, autobiographer
S
- Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny, novelist, non-fiction writer and politician
- Annette Saint-Pierre, educator, novelist and publisher
- Marie Savard, poet and radio scriptwriter
- Jocelyne Saucier, novelist and journalist
- Dominique Scali, journalist and novelist
- Louise Simard, novelist
T
- France Théoret, feminist, poet, novelist, playwright and essayist
- Marie José Thériault, poet, novelist, performer and translator
- Kim Thúy, Vietmanese-born Canadian novelist
- Lola Lemire Tostevin, poet, novelist and feminist writer
- Lise Tremblay, novelist and educator
- Clarisse Tremblay, poet
- Danielle Trussart, visual artist, novelist and children's writer
- Élise Turcotte, novelist and educator
V
- Hélène Vachon, children's writer, novelist
- Lise Vaillancourt, playwright, novelist
- Christine Dumitriu Van Saanen, Romanian-born French language poet and essayist
- Yolande Villemaire, short story writer, novelist and poet
- Élisabeth Vonarburg, French-born Canadian science fiction writer and novelist
Y
- Ying Chen, Chinese-born Canadian novelist