5 Women Who Won Nobel Prize in Literature and Made History

One of the most renowned awards in the world is the Nobel Prize. The honor is given to people who have made the greatest contribution to humanity in one year. The Nobel Prize has, since eternity, been a sign of excellence in fields such as literature, science, etc. However, recently the prize got into controversy when people started questioning why most of the winners had been male. Especially in the literature category. Out of the 116 Nobel Laureates, only 15 of them are women. The absence of women and people of color from the list of nominees and winners caused a public outcry.

This outcry had a huge influence on the list of nominees and winners for the past five-six years. But even if women Nobel Prize winners are far and few in between; their accomplishments cannot be overlooked. So as we celebrate the 2021 Nobel Prize, let's look at some of the greatest women writers who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

1. Selma Lagerlof

Selma Lagerlof became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature and also the first-ever woman to be admitted into the Swedish Academy in 1914. Her style was vivid and different as she dealt with folk tales mixed with legend and stories that she remembered from her village. Selma wrote about a fantastical world in the most emphatic way possible. And it was, for this reason, she got the Nobel Prize in literature in 1909.

2. Sigrid Undset

Sigrid Undset was an author with an important voice. She wrote about the plight of women; especially women in the middle ages. Although her work was deeply influenced by Catholicism, her stories dealt with women and their problems. Sigrid was also against the oppression of Nazi Germany and expressed her disgust quite vocally for which she had to flee Europe and move to the US. It was this quality that got her a Nobel Prize in Literature in the year 1928.

3. Pearl S Buck

Pearl S Buck, the writer behind the iconic book 'The Good Earth' was a strong voice during the 1930s and 40s. It was for her epic description of the peasant life in China in her book 'The Good Earth' for which she won both, the Pulitzer as well as the Nobel Prize. Her writing was informed and layered with rich textures and cultural references of the time.

4. Gabriela Mistral

Gabriela Mistral is a Chilean poet and author who strongly advocated for the rights of women and children. She soon became a poignant voice who stood for the rights of the marginalized. Her work strongly reflects her ideology and for this, she won the Nobel Prize in 1945 and became the first Latin woman to win the prize.

5. Nelly Sachs

Nelly Sachs had a horrible childhood as she was a Jewish who grew up in Nazi Germany. The time was such that she felt scared and terrified. Fed up with her life in Nazi Germany, she flew to Sweden, following the footsteps of another Nobel Laureate, Selma Lagerlof. Lagerlof, in a way, saved Nelly's life. Nelly's poetry was powerful and reflected her anxiety and mental illness. She was facilitated with the Nobel Prize in 1966.