Here's the Women's Prize for Fiction 10 essential reads for men, by women

Top of the list is Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel 'The Handmaid's Tale', published in 1985. Photo: AFP

From George Sand to Colette to J.K. Rowling: for centuries, female writers have felt compelled to use pseudonyms to encourage men to read their works.

And for good reason; men still have difficulty opening up to literature written by women - a situation that the Women's Prize for Fiction hopes to remedy.