Women have contributed to the literature of German-speaking countries since the Middle Ages, and they continue to write important works at the close of the 20th century. While research on texts by women writers in German-speaking countries has increased substantially, most of these authors remain virtually unknown to English-speaking scholars and students. The first work of its kind in English, this reference book contains alphabetically arranged entries for 54 Austrian, German, and Swiss women writers—such as Hrotsvit von Gandersheim, Louise Aston, Elfriede Jelinek, and Erica Pedretti—from the tenth century to the present day. Each entry includes a biography, a discussion of major themes, a survey of criticism, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. An introductory essay overviews the history of literature by women in German-speaking countries, and an extensive bibliography concludes the volume.

Women have actively shaped literature in German-speaking countries from the Middle Ages to the present day. These authors continue to enrich the world of letters, and an increasing amount of scholarly attention is given to their writings. In spite of their contributions, however, most of these writers are virtually unknown to English-speaking scholars and students. And though one of the explicit goals of feminist literary and cultural studies has been to provide a voice to a multitude of diverse authors, feminist research still seems to focus heavily on texts by authors such as Christa Wolf, Ingeborg Bachmann, and Bettina von Arnim, or on certain periods in 19th- and 20th-century German literature and culture. As a result, many other women authors have faded into obscurity.

Through entries written by expert contributors, this reference book provides insights into the life and writings of 54 women authors from German-speaking countries. Entries are arranged alphabetically to facilitate use, while an appendix lists the writers chronologically. Included are profiles of authors from the tenth century to the present day, such as Hrotsvit von Gandersheim, Louise Aston, Elfriede Jelinek, and Erica Pedretti. Each entry includes a biography, a discussion of major themes and stylistic features, a survey of criticism, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. An introductory essay overviews the history of literature by women in German-speaking countries and provides a theroretical context for the work, and an extensive bibliography of secondary sources concludes the volume.