Championing Classic Women Writers and Their Legacies
Nava Atlas discusses her journey from book artistry to literary advocacy, the evolution of Literary Ladies’ Guide, her passion for amplifying women’s voices, and how literature and veganism share a social justice thread.
Nava Atlas is one of the few writers who navigate the intersections of literature, art, and food with such seamless expertise. With a body of work spanning more than twenty books, she is widely recognised for her contributions to both literary scholarship and plant-based cuisine. As the author of Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life and the curator of LiteraryLadiesGuide.com, Nava has dedicated herself to preserving and promoting the voices of classic women writers. At the same time, her bestselling vegetarian and vegan cookbooks continue to inspire a new generation of home cooks.
Her creative journey, which began with a passion for storytelling and visual design, has evolved into a multifaceted career that encompasses book artistry, food writing, and literary advocacy. With a permanent archive of her work housed at Duke University’s Rubenstein Library and forthcoming titles exploring the bonds between writers and their feline muses, Nava’s influence only continues to grow.
In this interview, she reflects on the origins of Literary Ladies’ Guide, the challenges of amplifying overlooked voices, and the common threads that weave together her literary and culinary pursuits.
Nava Atlas is a visionary writer, artist, and advocate whose work enriches literature, empowers women, and elevates plant-based living worldwide.
What inspired you to create The Literary LadiesGuide to the Writing Life, and how did the idea evolve over time?
In my late 40s, I had a notion to get a Master’s degree with a twofold objective. First, to catch up with 21st century technology by learning Photoshop and InDesign. And second, somewhat conversely, to learn the analog art of making limited edition and handmade) books (commonly referred to as artist’s books).
A small edition of a handmade book I made for a class assignment contained the seed of the idea that eventually became The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life. I initially conceived this project as a collection of aphorisms from first-person narratives (letters, diaries, and interviews) of classic authors for writers presented as inspiration for aspiring writers. But diving more deeply into their lives completely flipped the script. Yes, these authors are inspiring, but what became more meaningful was discovering their considerable struggles and how they overcame obstacles.
I gradually turned this grad school project into a book proposal. It wasn’t easy to find a publisher, especially since I had no standing in the literary community at the time. Finally, the proposal caught the eye of an editor (who had come from the world of New York publishing) at a general interest and gift book publisher in Maine. He diplomatically pushed me out of my comfort zone both as a writer and book designer, and I thank him to this day.
The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life was published in 2011, and it was that same year that I launched the Literary Ladies Guide website. It grew slowly until 2018, when it took off in a surprising way. Perhaps the global rightward turn spurred a greater interest in women’s voices; millions of views have since been logged.
In 2022, an updated edition of Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life (I dropped the “The”) came out as an audiobook with a pdf companion. How this came about is a long story, but I appreciated the opportunity to add three more women writers to the original twelve.
“Yes, these authors are inspiring, but what became more meaningful was discovering their considerable struggles and how they overcame obstacles.” – Nava Atlas
How do you select which classic women authors to feature on Literary LadiesGuide, and are there any you feel deserve more recognition?
At first, I started with the obvious ones, especially those central to the original Literary Ladies book — Austen, Brontë, Alcott, Stowe, Wharton, etc. All the writers featured on the site are no longer with us, which my only rule, since so many more women are being published today.
I focus on those who wrote in English or have been extensively translated (one example would be Colette). As a result, the site features mainly (but not exclusively) American and British authors. I’ve made a conscious effort to feature more Black and Latina authors of the past, especially those who have gone underappreciated. One example is the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yet even on this side of the Atlantic, she’s not nearly as known as her countryman, Pablo Neruda.
I have a special interest in rediscovering lost voices and in women whose writing has been banned or in other ways silenced. Another group of writers that I’ve given special attention to are the poets of the Harlem Renaissance era. I’m not a big reader of poetry, but I adore their work.
As a writer, visual artist, and designer, how do these different creative pursuits influence each other in your work?
I feel so fortunate to have been able to combine these various skills into my practice and my projects. I’ve always loved reading, writing, and drawing. Cooking was added to the mix early on when I wanted to go a vegetarian as a teen (and I’ve been vegan for twenty-two years now). In my first book, Vegetariana: A Rich Harvest of Wit, Lore & Recipes, I combined my recipes with literary quotes and folklore, drawings, and designed the whole thing from cover to cover. I updated it for its 4th edition in 2021, and for the first time properly printed and bound. It was also published in England in 1986 or so, kind of a lost relic!
What challenges have you encountered in preserving and promoting the legacies of classic women authors, and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenge has been scaling the site up as much as I’d like. I’ve had assistance from interns from the local university and generous contributions of content from writers around the world. The site makes just enough money to maintain itself, so if I had unlimited resources (or a nice grant), it could grow exponentially. My wish list of writers not yet covered is quite long. I’ve written a lot of the content, but there’s just so much I can do. There’s no limit to how much it can keep growing as an archive of women’s literature of the distant and recent past.
Given your background in both literature and vegan cooking, do you see any common themes or values connecting these aspects of your work?
Great question! I do see a common thread, which is social justice. Elevating women’s voices is a nod to the quest for greater equality. Some of my limited editions address other issues of cultural bias as well as animal advocacy. And the latter ties in with my longstanding commitment to veganism. I always lead with easy plant-based recipes, yet in my heart it’s about the animals and the earth. While it may verge on the obvious, in all my endeavors there’s an underlying hope for a more just and tolerant world.
“Elevating women’s voices is a nod to the quest for greater equality.” – Nava Atlas
