List of Turkish women writers

This is a list of Turkish women writers who are Ottoman or Turkish nationals and who write in Turkish language.

A

• Halide Edib Adıvar (1884–1964), novelist, nationalist, feminist
• Adalet Ağaoğlu (1929–2020), prominent novelist, playwright, essayist, memoirist, short story writer
• Süreyya Ağaoğlu (1903–1989), lawyer, non-fiction writer
• Zeynep Ahunbay (born 1946), educator, works on preservation of cultural heritage
• Gülten Akın (1933–2015), influential poet, playwright, works widely translated
• Seza Kutlar Aksoy (born 1945), children's writer
• Alev Alatlı (1944–2024), best selling novelist, economist, columnist, playwright, translator
• Süreyya Aylin Antmen (born 1981), poet, essayist
• Nezihe Araz (1920–2009), religious writer, journalist
• Meltem Arıkan (born 1968), novelist, playwright, columnist
• Ayşe Arman (born 1969), journalist, columnist
• Duygu Asena (1946–2006), journalist, best selling non-fiction author on women's rights
• Aydilge, full name Aydilge Sarp (born 1979), poet, songwriter, short story writer
• Samiha Ayverdi (1905–1993), novelist, mystic

B

• Oya Baydar (born 1940), sociologist, novelist
• Nazan Bekiroğlu (born 1957), novelist, essayist
• Seyla Benhabib (born 1950), Turkish-American philosopher, non-fiction writer, biographer
• Üstün Bilgen-Reinart (born 1947), Turkish-born Canadian journalist, non-fiction writer
• Sevim Burak (1931–1983), novelist, playwright, letter writer

C

• Peride Celal (1916–2013), novelist, short story writer
• Hasibe Çerko (born 1971), storyteller, philosopher
• Fethiye Çetin (born 1950), lawyer, human rights activist, novelist
• Muazzez Ä°lmiye Çığ (1914–2024), archaeologist, works on Sumerian and Middle-Eastern civilization
• Zehra Çırak (born 1960), Turkish-born German poet, short story writer
• Nuriye Ulviye Mevlan Civelek (1893–1964) journalist and magazine owner
• Alev Croutier (born c. 1945), Turkish-born American novelist, non-fiction writer, screenwriter

D

• Suat Derviş (1904 oder 1905–1972), Turkish female novelist, journalist, and political activist
• Güzin Dino (1910–2013), non-fiction writer, translator of Turkish works into French
• Nurduran Duman (born 1974), poet, essayist, translator

E

• Aslı Erdoğan (born 1967), novelist, human rights activist, columnist, some works translated into English

F

• Fitnat Hanım (18th century), early poet
• Füruzan (1932–2024), pen name of Füruzan Yerdelen (1932–2024), short story writer, novelist, screenwriter

G

• Nilüfer Göle (born 1953), sociologist, non-fiction writer
• Aysel Gürel (1929–2008), lyricist, actress, author of many Turkish popular songs
• Azmiye Hami Güven (1904–1954), novelist

K

• Yadé Kara (born 1965), Turkish-born German-language novelist
• Suzan Emine Kaube (born 1942), Turkish-born German-language novelist, poet
• Rabia Kazan (born 1976), journalist, feminist, television host
• Birhan Keskin (born 1963), poet
• Ayşe Kulin (born 1941), popular novelist, short story writer, columnist; several works translated into English
• Ä°smet Kür (1916–2013), educator, journalist, columnist and writer of mainly children's literature
• Pınar Kür (1943–2025), novelist, dramatist, and translator; daughter of Ä°smet

L

• Nuray Lale (born 1962), novelist, translator

M

• Perihan Mağden (born 1960), novelist, journalist, columnist, several works translated into English
• Nilgün Marmara (1958–1987), poet, some poems translated into English
• Nuray Mert (born 1960), journalist, educator, television presenter
• Nezihe Muhiddin (1889–1958), journalist, novelist, politician, feminist
• Lale Müldür (born 1956), influential poet, novelist, columnist

N

• Nigâr Hanım (1856–1918), major poet, playwright, memoirist

O

• Birgül Oğuz (born 1981), novelist
• Meral Okay (1959–2012), actress, screenwriter
• Sevin Okyay (born 1942), journalist, critic, novelist, translator
• Emine Semiye Önasya (1864–1944), educator, textbook writer, novelist
• Aysel Özakın (born 1942), novelist, short story writer, children's writer, writing in Turkish, German and English
• Emine Sevgi Özdamar (born 1949), German-language playwright, short story writer, novelist
• Tezer Özlü (1943–1986), novelist

P

• Zeynep Sevde Paksu (born 1983), children's writer, publisher

S

• Güzide Sabri Aygün 1886–1946), romance novelist
• Elif Şafak (born 1971), acclaimed novelist, columnist, feminist
• Pınar Selek (born 1971), sociologist, feminist, journalist, editor
• Neslihan Şenocak (born c.1976), historian, writer, professor
• Sabiha Sertel (1895–1968), early feminist journalist, essayist
• Sevgi Soysal (1936–1976), novelist, short story writer, memoirist
• Edibe Sözen (born 1961), sociologist, politician, writings on sociology

T

• Suna Tanaltay (1933–2021), poet, writer, psychologist
• Sevim Tekeli (1924–2019), educator, works on astronomy, cartography
• Latife Tekin (born 1957), influential feminist, novelist, playwright, memoirist
• Ece Temelkuran (born 1973), journalist, columnist, novelist, television presenter
• Arzu Toker (born 1952), journalist, anti-Islam activist, lives in the Netherlands
• Fatma Aliye Topuz (1862–1936), columnist, essayist, novelist, feminist
• Ayfer Tunç (born 1964), novelist, short story writer, essayist

U

• Bahriye Üçok (1919–1990), theologian, columnist, feminist
• Buket Uzuner (born 1955), widely translated novelist, short story writer, travel writer

Z

• Zafer Hanım (19th century), first Turkish novelist
• Ayşe Nur Zarakolu (1946–2002), publisher, human rights advocate
• Halide Nusret Zorlutuna (1901–1984), poet, novelist, short story writer, autobiographer

See also

• List of women writers
• Turkish women writers

References

External links

• Women Writers of Turkey website with excellent English biographies
• Turkish Women Writers in English Translation, article by Arzu Akbatur