Christine de Pizan (1364–1430) was an Italian-born French writer and the first professional female author of the Middle Ages, widely regarded as the first woman of letters in France whose career depended on writing rather than noble birth or marriage. After being widowed in 1389 with young children to support, she turned to writing and became successful at the French court, producing poetry, prose and political works. She is best known for works that challenged the era’s misogyny and argued for