10 brilliant new authors to know for International Women's Day

2018 brings some stellar debuts by women writers. Here are 10 of our favorites.
By David Canfield
March 08, 2018 at 01:28 PM EST

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2018's breakout female authors

Elena Seibert; Laura Etheredge; Sarah Lee; Liz Linder

In honor of International Women's Day, here are 10 breakout authors that are making headlines with their groundbreaking debut books. From highbrow novels to story collections to piercing memoirs to stunning fantasies, these writers together bring a little something for everyone.

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Tara Westover, Educated

Paul Stuart; Random House

Westover, a young woman who escaped her Mormon survivalist parents and set foot in a classroom for the first time at the age of 17, doesn't just have a remarkable story to tell. Despite her lack of experience, she proves to be a superb writer, crafting a painful but inspiring memoir that gives us Glass Castle vibes. Buy the book here.

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Tomi Adeyemi, Children of Blood and Bone

Elena Seibert; Macmillan Children's

Chances are you've heard of this one already. Adeyemi has drawn from African folklore to create her epic, Black Lives Matter-inspired fantasy trilogy, which sparked one of the biggest deals in YA publishing history and has a film adaptation in the works. Buy the book here, and read our interview with Adeyemi.

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Lisa Halliday, Asymmetry

Philipp S. Soheili; Simon + Schuster

Recipient of the 2017 Whiting Award for Fiction, Halliday has rocked the literary world with her ambitious novel. Asymmetry is divided into three vignettes, each posing questions about power and identity, and they come together fascinatingly in the book's final pages. Buy the book here, and read our thoughts on why the book is the talk of the literary town.

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Mira T. Lee, Everything Here Is Beautiful

Liz Linder; Penguin Random House

Celeste Ng is among the many high-profile authors to sing Lee's praises. Her tender, intimate novel centers on two Chinese-American sisters separated by an ocean but connected by their love, and deftly tackles topics of immigration and mental illness. Buy the book here.

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Melissa Albert, The Hazel Wood

Laura Etheredge; Flatiron Books

Another hot YA title, The Hazel Wood has already landed firmly on the New York Times best-seller list, capturing young and adult audiences alike with its dreamy fairy tale construct and hooking them with a heck of a twist. Buy the book here.

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Terese Marie Mailhot, Heart Berries

Counterpoint Press (2)

This slim volume isn't exactly a speed-read; Terese Marie Mailhot packs a punch with every line in her startlingly candid memoir. Her prose is powerful and poetic, and not a word in her story of growing up with dysfunctional parents on a Native American reservation feels wasted. Buy the book here.

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Chandler Klang Smith, The Sky Is Yours

Eric Taxier; Crown/Archetype

This adult fantasy from Smith features an audacious mixture of elements: a little Cloud Atlas here, a little Blade Runner there, and some Rick & Morty sprinkled in. The result is singular. Buy the book here, and read our interview with Smith.

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Anjali Sachdeva, All the Names They Used for God

Penguin Random House; Spiegel & Grau

Sachdeva's focus is on the boundless and cosmic in this provocative short story collection. All the Names spans centuries and continents, bringing its characters together through their shared experiences, emotions, pain, hopes, and dreams. Buy the book here.

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Akwaeke Emezi, Freshwater

Grove Atlantic (2)

Freshwater is a dazzling debut that offers an innovative and illuminating way to discuss mental illness. Emezi's transportive writing has made this book one of the most acclaimed of 2018 so far. Buy the book here, and read our thoughts on why it's such a literary hit.

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Emma Glass, Peach

Sarah Lee; Bloomsbury

This startling book uses hypervisceral prose to detail how a woman tries to move through ordinary life after being raped. An explosive dramatization of trauma, Glass' short but harrowing Peach provides a propulsive, unforgettable read that's impossible to shake. Buy the book here.

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