"(It) provides a survey of writers who have had a profound impact on literature and the world, examining each writer's life, career, and lasting legacy."
This challenge is from "The Literary 100 - A Ranking of the Most Influential Novelists, Playwrights, and Poets of All Time" by Daniel S. Burt (Revised Edition, Facts On File, 2009). It uses the book's Honorable Mentions list and comprises 100 authors and their principal works. It features many feminist works through the ages and includes several Nobel Prize winners.
(The authors are listed alphabetically.)