International Women's Day: 10 inspirational quotes from women writers to become your own hero!

From defining what it is to be a woman, to inspiring to break societal chains and being free -- these quotes from women writers are gold.

Charlotte Bronte, born in 1816 was an English novelist and poet whose works of literature became a cult classic for being way ahead of its time.

Her best-known work is 'Jane Eyre' which had elements of social criticism and a strong central female character who was not shy about expressing her sexuality, her understanding of religion, classism and proto-feminism.

The writer of two best-selling novels, 'The Fountainhead' and 'Atlas Shrugged', Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist and philosopher.

Basing her books on the premise of a self-invented philosophical system she called 'Objectivism', her books received mixed feedback from the literary world and the audience.

Born in 1819, Mary Ann Evans used the pen name George Eliot while writing books as she wanted to be taken seriously. She did this as at that time, literature was considered to be dominated by men.

Her most famous works include 'Adam Bede' (1859), 'The Mill on the Floss' (1860), 'Silas Marner' (1861), 'Middlemarch' (1871–72), and 'Daniel Deronda' (1876), most of which are set in provincial England and known for their realism and psychological insight.

The creator of Harry Potter books, Joanne Rowling wrote under the pen name J.K. Rowling and had quite a tough life before she became famous with her books which then got adapted to cinema in the form of a celebrated movie series.

Dealing with a failed marriage that resulted in divorce that then led to single parenthood, Rowling spent a lot of time dealing with problems before she started writing. After Harry Potter series became famous, Rowling became one of the wealthiest and most influential writers.

Joan Didion is a popular American journalist and writer of novels, screenplays. She is best known for her literary journalism and memoirs.

In her novels and essays, Didion explores the disintegration of American morals and cultural chaos; the overriding theme of her work is individual and social fragmentation.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, an English novelist and short story writer was best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus that was published in 1818.

Marguerite Annie Johnson or Maya Angelou as she was popularly known was an American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist. Receiving several awards and honorary degrees for her work, she is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' published in 1969, tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.

Maya became a spokesperson of sorts for black people and women. Her books centre on themes such as racism, identity, family and travel.

American writer and filmmaker, Nora Ephron is best known for contributing to the romantic-comedy genre of films.

She was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Writing -- for 'Silkwood' (1983), 'When Harry Met Sally'... (1989), and 'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993). She won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for 'When Harry Met Sally..'

Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir was a French writer, political activist, feminist and social theorist.

She had a significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory and wrote several novels, biographies, autobiography on philosophy, politics and social issues. She was known for her 1949 treatise 'The Second Sex', a detailed analysis of women's oppression and a foundation of contemporary feminism.

Toni Morrison is an American novelist, teacher, and professor emeritus at Princeton University.

She is the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award in 1988 for 'Beloved' which was even adapted into a film of the same name. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993.