The poetess Wallada was born in 11th century Cordoba, Spain, to Cordoba’s Caliph, al-Mustakfi and she exerted influence on the literary culture of her time. Her boldness and independence of thought in her poetry, in her social behavior, and in her training of the next generation of female poets at her literary salon provoked admiration, hostile recriminations, and even a series of poetic laments from her jilted lover, Ibn Zaydun. While Arabic primary sources place her at the center of their discourse, later European sources diminish her impact by making her peripheral to Ibn Zaydun or by denigrating her legacy and literature as it is viewed through parochial lens. This parochial approach greatly obscures the genius of this female poet. In this study we will analyze primary Arabic scholarship on Wallada, including the work of Ibn Bassam in the 12th century, al-Maqqari in the 16th century, and al- Suyuti in the 15th century, in order to show how clearly non-western scholars understood Wallada and her cultural context. We will compare Wallada’s literature with the works of other female poets from the medieval Middle East. Finally, we will analyze modern novels from Spain and Morocco, such as those by Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rahman Yunus, Magdalena Lasalo, and Matilde Cabello, in order to show the impact which Wallada’s influence continues to have on modern audiences. I will employ as methods New Historicism and Performance Theory to connect with other branches of the humanities in a study of comparative literature. In doing so, the study will attempt to join with other scholars of Arabic literature who are seeking to re-center Arabic literary studies within its historical and literary niche. By comparing how Wallada’s literature was received by early Arabic scholars with its later reception by Western scholars, and finally by analyzing its reception by modern novelists in Spain and the Middle East, this study will imbed Wallada firmly in her own literary niche and show that her image and literature, when understood in their context, continue to exhibit strength and vitality.