The Art of Literary Nomenclature

There are well over a hundred writers named “Barbara“, and here is a by-no-means complete list:

– Barbara Amiel (b. 1940), English journalist, socialite, and writer.
– Barbara Anderson (1926-2013), New Zealander novelist and short story writer.
– Barbara Angell (b. 1935), Australian entertainer and writer.
– Barbara Barrie (b. 1931), American actress and author.
– Barbara Baynton (1857-1929), Australian novelist, poet, and short story writer.
– Barbara Brackman (b. 1945), American author and historian.
– Barbara Taylor Bradford (b. 1933), Anglo-American novelist.
– Barbara Bray (1924-2010), English critic and translator.
– Barbara Ninde Byfield (1930-1988), American children’s book author and illustrator.
– Barbara Cartland (1901-2000), English businesswoman, composer, dramatist, playwright, romance author, and socialite, who also published under the pen name “Barbara McCorquodale”.
– Barbara Chase-Riboud (b. 1939), American artist, novelist, and poet.
– Barbara Christian (1943-2000), American author and professor.
– Barbara Colley (b. 1947), American mystery and romance author who sometimes publishes as “Anne Logan”.
– Barbara Comyns (1907-1992), pen name of English artist and novelist Barbara Comyns Carr.
– Barbara Cooney (1917-2000), American children’s book author and illustration.
– Barbara Coudenhove-Kalergi (b. 1932), Austrian journalist.
– Barbara Crossette (b. 1939), American author and journalist.
– Barbara Cully (b. 1955), American poet.
– Barbara Daly (b. 1939), American romance author.
– Barbara Delinsky (b. 1945), American romance author who also publishes under the pen names “Billie Douglass” and “Bonnie Drake”.
– Barbara Deming (1917-1984), American activist and writer.
– Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941), American activist and author.
– Barbara Epstein (1928-2006), American editor.
– Barbara Field (b. 1935), American playwright.
– Barbara C. Freeman (1906-1999), English children’s book author and illustrator.
– Barbara Frischmuth (b. 1941), Austrian poet and writer.
– Barbara Garson (b. 1941), American activist, author, and playwright.
– Barbara Gowdy (b. 1950), Canadian novelist and short story writer.
– Barbara Guest (1920-2006), American poet and writer.
– Barbara Hambly (b. 1951), American novelist and screenwriter.
– Barbara Hamby (b. 1952), American author, critic, editor, and poet.
– Barbara Hannah (1891-1986), English author, biographer, lecturer, and psychotherapist.
– Barbara Henning (b. 1948), American author and poet.
– Barbara Grier (1933-2011), American publisher and writer who also used the pen name “Gene Damon.”
– Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1934-2002), American essayist, journalist, and memoirist.
– Barbara Haskell (b. 1946), American curator and historian.
– Barbara Haworth-Attard (b. 1953), Canadian children’s book author.
– Barbara Honigmann (b. 1949), German artist, author, director, and dramatist.
– Barbara Howes (1914-1996), American poet.
– Barbara Jefferis (1917-2004), Australian novelist.
– Barbara Jelavich (1923-1995), American author, historian, and professor.
– Barbara Johnson (1947-2009), American critic, scholar, translator, and writer.
– Barbara M. Joosse (b. 1949), American children’s book author.
– Barbara Jordan (b. 1949), American poet and professor.
– Barbara Kingsolver (b. 1955), American essayist, novelist, and poet.
– Barbara Ann Kipfer (b. 1954), English author, lexicographer, and linguist.
– Barbara La Marr (1896-1926), American actress and screenwriter.
– Barbara Lefcowitz (b. 1935), American poet and professor.
– Barbara Levick (b. 1931), English author and historian.
– Barbara McMartin (1931-2005), American environmentalist, historian, and mathematician.
– Barbara Moraff (b. 1939), American poet.
– Barbara Nickel (b. 1966), Canadian poet.
– Barbara Owens (1934-2008), American mystery author.
– Barbara Park (1947-2013), American children’s book author.
– Barbara Parker (1947-2009), American mystery author.
– Barbara Paul (b. 1931), American mystery and science fiction author.
– Barbara Pym (1913-1980), English novelist.
– Barbara Ras (b. 1949), American poet, publisher, and translator.
– Barbara Jane Reyes (b. 1971), American poet.
– Barbara Reynolds (1914-2015), English author, lexicographer, scholar, and translator.
– Barbara Ann Reynolds (b. 1942), American author and journalist.
– Barbara Leonard Reynolds (1915-1990), American activist, author, and educator.
– Barbara Robinson (1927-2013), American children’s book author, poet, and short story writer.
– Barbara Rose (b. 1938), American critic and historian.
– Barbara Rosenthal (b. 1948), American artist, performer, and writer.
– Barbara Katz Rothman (b. 1948), American author, professor, and scholar.
– Barbara Samson (b. 1975), French activist and poet.
– Barbara Santucci (b. 1947), American artist, children’s book author, and poet.
– Barbara Seaman (1935-2008), American activist, author, and journalist.
– Barbara Seranella (1956-2007), American novelist.
– Barbara Skelton (1916-1996), English memoirist, novelist, and socialite.
– Barbara Smith (b. 1946), American activist, critic, lecturer, publisher, scholar, teacher, and writer.
– Barbara Herrnstein Smith (b. 1932), American critic and scholar.
– Barbara Probst Solomon (b. 1928), American author, essayist, and journalist.
– Barbara Stephens (1922-1947), American journalist.
– Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger (b. 1955), German historian.
– Barbara Thiering (b. 1930), Australian historian, scholar, theologian, and writer.
– Barbara Euphan Todd (1890-1976), English children’s book author and poet.
– Barbara Trapido (b. 1941), English novelist.
– Barbara Margaret Trimble (1921-1995), English mystery and romance author who published under the pen names “Barbara Gilmour”, “B.M. Gill”, and “Margaret Blake”.
– Barbara Turner (b. 1936), American actress and screenwriter.
– Baroness Barbara Von Krüdener (1764-1824), German author and mystic.
– Barbara G. Walker (b. 1930), American activist and author.
– Barbara Wiedemann (b. 1945), American poet and professor.
– Barbara Willard (1909-1994), English children’s book author and novelist.
– Barbara Wood (b. 1947), American romance author who also publishes under the pen name “Kathryn Harvey”.
– Barbara Wright (1915-2009), English scholar and translator.
– Barbara Yorke (b. 1951), English historian.