Gloria Naylor (January 25, 1950 – September 28, 2016) was an American novelist. She is celebrated for her novels such as The Women of Brewster Place (1982), Linden Hills (1985), and Mama Day (1988). Her debut novel, The Women of Brewster Place, won the National Book Award for first fiction in 1983 and was adapted into a 1984 film starring Oprah Winfrey.

In addition to her novels, Naylor wrote essays, screenplays, and a stage adaptation of Bailey's Cafe. She founded One Way Productions, an independent film company, and was actively involved in a literacy program in the Bronx.

Naylor was a native New Yorker and an alumna of Brooklyn College and Yale University. Throughout her career, she received numerous honors and served as a Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Pennsylvania.