Haushofer began her writing career in 1946, publishing short stories in newspapers and magazines. In 1952, she published her first book,
Das fünfte Jahr, which earned her the Österreichische Förderungspreis für Literatur in 1953. She went on to publish her first novel,
A Handful of Life in 1955, and, in 1956, she won the
Theodor Körner Prize for her contributions to art and culture. In 1958, her novella
Killing Stella was published.
The Wall, considered her finest achievement, was completed in 1963. The novel was written out four times in
longhand between 1960 and 1963. In a letter written to a friend in 1961, Marlen describes the difficulty with its composition: I am writing on my novel and everything is very cumbersome because I never have much time, and mainly because I can not embarrass myself. I must continuously inquire whether what I say about animals and plants is actually correct. One can not be precise enough. I would be very happy, indeed, if I were able to write the novel only half as well as I am imagining it in my mind. Her last novel,
The Loft, was published in 1969. ==Death and legacy==