List of Chilean women writers

This is a list of women writers who were born in Chile or whose writings are closely associated with that country.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

A

• Marjorie Agosín (1955–2025), Chilean-American poet, memoirist, now lives in the United States
• Isabel Allende (born 1942), highly acclaimed Chilean-American novelist, journalist, columnist, magazine editor, children's writer
• Marina Arrate (born 1957), poet, psychologist
• Celinda Arregui (1864–1941), feminist politician, writer, teacher, suffrage activist
• Carmen Arriagada (1807–1888), letter writer, wrote in English and French

B

• Maipina de la Barra (1834–1904), first Chilean woman to publish a travel journal
• Pía Barros (born 1956), short story writer and novelist
• María Luisa Bombal (1910–1980), acclaimed novelist, feminist
• Martina Barros Borgoño (1850–1944), autobiographer, early feminist
• Marta Brunet (1897–1967), novelist, short story writer

C

• Elena Caffarena (1903–2003), politician, women's rights activist, non-fiction writer
• Mariana Callejas (1932–2016), writer and DINA agent
• Mabel Condemarín (1931–2004), educator, textbook writer, children's writer
• Ivonne Coñuecar (born 1980), writer, poet, journalist
• Mariana Cox Méndez (1871–1914), novelist, short story writer, columnist, feminist
• María de la Cruz (1912–1995), suffragist, journalist, poet, novelist, magazine editor

D

• Achta Saleh Damane (fl. 2010s), journalist and politician
• Delia Domínguez (1931–2022), poet
• Gloria Dünkler (born 1977), poet and librarian

E

• Diamela Eltit (born 1947), educator, novelist
• Gabriela Etcheverry (born 1946), writer living in Canada

F

• Soledad Fariña Vicuña (born 1943), widely translated poet
• María Luisa Fernández (1870–1938), writer, editor, and poet
• Paulina Flores (born 1988), short story writer
• Valentina Fuenzalida (born 2003) writer and poet

G

• María Elena Gertner (1932–2013), writer, actress
• Isabel Gómez Muñoz (born 1959), poet
• Olga Grau (born 1945), writer, professor, philosopher
• Carla Guelfenbein (born 1959), novelist, screenwriter
• Viviana Guzmán (born 1982), flutist, poet

J

• Andrea Jeftanovic (born 1970), novelist, short story writer, essayist
• Pamela Jiles (born 1960), investigative journalist, poet, television presenter

M

• Carmen Marai (Carmen María Bassa Rodríguez, living) poet and novelist
• Lina Meruane (born 1970), writer and professor
• Gabriela Mistral (1889–1957), pen name of Lucila Godoy Alcayaga (1889–1957), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, poet, educator, feminist
• María Olivia Mönckeberg (born 1944), journalist, essayist, and academic
• Yolanda Montecinos (1927–2007), journalist, television presenter
• Nicolasa Montt (1857-1924), poet
• Isabel Morel (1885–?), journalist, magazine editor, feminist
• Henrietta Müller (1846–1906), Chilean-British journalist, feminist
• Rosabetty Muñoz (born 1960), poet and professor

O

• Raquel Olea (born 1944), writer, professor
• Rosario Orrego (1834 – 1879), journalist, novelist, publisher

P

• Marcela Paz, pen name of Esther Huneeus Salas de Claro (1902–1985), children's writer, creator of Papelucho
• Josefa de los Dolores Peña y Lillo Barbosa (1739–1823), letter writer, poet
• Magdalena Petit (1903–1968), popular novelist, playwright, essayist, biographer
• Monica Pidgeon (1913–2009), Chilean-British editor of Architectural Design
• Trinidad Piriz, playwright

R

• Carmen Rodríguez (born 1948), Chilean-Canadian poet, short story writer, educator,
• Winétt de Rokha, pen name of Luisa Anabalón Sanderson (1892–1951), poet

S

• Lake Sagaris (born 1956), Canadian journalist, non-fiction writer, poet, translator, now living in Chile
• Elvira Santa Cruz Ossa (1886–1960), playwright, novelist, magazine editor
• Raquel Señoret (1922–1990), poet
• Elisa Serrana (1930–2012), novelist
• Marcela Serrano (born 1951), novelist
• Amelia Solar de Claro (1836-1915), poet, playwright, and essayist
• Pilar Sordo (born 1965), psychologist, columnist, lecturer, and writer

U

• Lucrecia Undurraga Solar (1841–1901), publisher, writer, journalist ^[1]
• Matilde Urrutia (1912–1985), memoirist

V

• Mercedes Valdivieso (1924–1993), pioneering feminist writer, novelist, author of La Brecha
• Patricia Verdugo (1947–2008), investigative journalist, human rights activist, non-fiction writer
• Luz de Viana (1900–1995), feminist writer also known as Marta Villanueva

W

• Brígida Walker (1863–1942), educator, non-fiction writer
• Teresa Wilms Montt (1893–1921), poet, novelist, feminist

Y

• María Flora Yáñez (1898–1982), novelist and short story writer

See also

• List of women writers
• List of Spanish-language authors

References

1. "La historia de Lucrecia Undurraga: Pionera del Periodismo Feminista en Chile - Mujer a mujer" (in Spanish). 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2025-10-27.