Mexican Women Writers

Mexican nun Juana Inés de la Cruz was one of the finest authors of the Latin American colonial era. Initially the lady-in-waiting of Mexico’s viceroy, she later took her vows. She built a huge library and penned masterpieces such as the poem Primero sueño and the religious drama El divino Narciso.

Mexican poet and author Rosario Castellanos was one of the most prominent literary voices of Mexico and perhaps the most significant Mexican woman writer of the last century. Her literary work on cultural and gender oppression has greatly influenced Mexican feminist theory and cultural studies. Her notable works include her master’s thesis, Sobre cultura femenina and the poem Valium 10.

Mexican author Laura Esquivel soared to fame with her bestselling debut novel, Like Water for Chocolate, which was later made into a critically acclaimed film. She often includes magic realism and science fiction in her works. She has also been part of Mexican politics and represents the Morena Party in the Mexican Congress.

Born in Paris, to a Polish-French father and a mother with Mexican origins, author Elena Poniatowska had begun her career as a journalist. Her iconic work Massacre in Mexico won her an award, which she refused to accept. She also became the first female to win Mexico’s National Journalism Prize.

Internationally renowned poet, playwright, and essayist Cherríe Moraga is also a true-blue feminist, who is openly lesbian. A founder-member of La Red Chicana Indígena, she works to preserve indigenous rights. She co-edited the feminist anthology This Bridge Called My Back and also teaches dramatic arts and writing.

One of the greatest authors of 20th-century Hispanic and Mexican literature, Elena Garro is best known for her one-act plays, such as The Dog and The Tree. Her works paved the path for the magic realism movement. She was married to poet and diplomat Octavio Paz and was exiled for her political activism.

Isabel del Puerto was a Mexican-American model, dancer, actress, photojournalist, writer, entrepreneur, and realtor. She contributed greatly to the prosperity of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema during the 1940s and 1950s. A multi-talented person, Isabel del Puerto lived her life to the fullest. After her retirement, she dedicated her time to help homeless people by heading a charity.