By Gabby Shacknai Jane Austen is known throughout the world as one of the most prominent female writers in English literature. While Austen’s works are celebrated for their literary merit, she is also triumphed for being among the first women to conquer the literary world and inspiring others to do the same. In honor of the 200th birthday of Austen's "Emma" this year, share this list of five influential female authors with your class. 1. Jane Austen (1775-1817) – The acclaimed writer penned six novels in her lifetime, two of which were published posthumously. Her works of romantic fiction landed her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature. Most famous works: "Pride and Prejudice" (1813), "Emma" (1815), "Sense and Sensibility" (1811) Fun Fact: None of the four novels published during her lifetime bore her name. "Sense and Sensibility" bore the byline “By a Lady,” and "Pride and Prejudice" simply stated that it was by “The Author of Sense and Sensibility.” 2. Mary Shelley (1797-1851) – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer and travel writer. She is known for writing the first science-fiction novel. Most famous work: "Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus" (1818) Fun Fact: "Frankenstein" was first published anonymously to scathing reviews and was only later made popular by an 1823 play. The book appeared in print again in 1831 with significant changes, including crediting Mary Shelley as the author. 3. Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) – Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet and was the eldest of the three Brontë sisters whose novels have become English literature classics. Most famous work: "Jane Eyre" (1847) Fun Fact: She first published her works under the pseudonym “Currer Bell.” 4. Emily Brontë (1818-1848) – Emily Brontë was an English novelist and poet who wrote only one novel, which is now considered a classic of English literature. Most famous work: "Wuthering Heights" (1847) Fun Fact: When "Wuthering Heights" was first published, it was met with mixed reviews because it challenged many Victorian ideals of the time, such as morality, social classes and gender inequality. 5. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) – Emily Dickinson was an American poet from Amherst, Mass. Considered an eccentric by locals, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality. Most famous works: “I’m nobody! Who are you?,” “Because I could not stop for Death,” “Much Madness” Fun Fact: Fewer than a dozen of Dickinson’s nearly 1,800 poems were published during her lifetime. 6. Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) – Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English writer and one of the foremost modernists of the twentieth century. Woolf suffered from severe mental illness throughout her life — thought to have been the result of what is now known as bipolar disorder — and committed suicide by drowning. Most famous works: "Mrs. Dalloway" (1925), "To The Lighthouse" (1927), "A Room of One’s Own" (1929) Fun Fact: Despite her growing reputation as an intellectual, Woolf spent hours upon hours addressing envelopes for feminist causes. 7. Maya Angelou (1928-2014) – Maya Angelou was an author and poet who published seven autobiographies, three books of essays and several poetry anthologies. She received dozens of awards and over fifty honorary degrees. Most famous works: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (1969), "On the Pulse of Morning" (1993) Fun Fact: At 16, she was the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco. “I loved the uniforms,” she once told Oprah Winfrey. 8. Toni Morrison (b. 1931) – Toni Morrison is an novelist, editor and college professor. Her novels are known for their immensely detailed characters and serious themes. Most famous works: "Beloved" (1987), "The Bluest Eye" (1970), "Song of Solomon" (1977) Fun Fact: Morrison was the first African American woman to win a Nobel Prize.