List of French women writers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of women writers born in France or whose writings are closely associated with France.

A[]

B[]

  • Victoire Babois (1760–1839), writer of elegies.[1]
  • Marie-Claire Bancquart (1932–2019), poet, essayist, critic and educator
  • Tristane Banon (born 1979), novelist, journalist and television presenter
  • Arvède Barine (1840–1908), non-fiction writer, historian and literary critic
  • Natalie Clifford Barney (1876–1972), American-born poet, playwright and novelist, who wrote mainly in French
  • Lauren Bastide (born 1981), French journalist
  • Sophie Bawr (1773–1860), playwright, non-fiction writer
  • Fanny de Beauharnais (1737–1813), poet, novelist, playwright and salonist
  • Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986), novelist, essayist, existentialist philosopher and feminist
  • Béatrix Beck (1914–2008), novelist, short story writer and poet of Belgian origin
  • Alice Becker-Ho (born 1941), poet and non-fiction writer
  • Claude de Bectoz (1490–1547), poet and letter writer
  • Géraldine Beigbeder, novelist, screen-writer
  • Maud de Belleroche (1922–2017), bestselling novelist, memoirist and biographer
  • Loleh Bellon (1925–1999), actress and playwright
  • Yannick Bellon (1924–2019), film director and screenwriter
  • Juliette Benzoni (1920–2016), novelist
  • Catherine Bernard (1662–1712), poet, playwright and novelist
  • Paulette Bernège (1896–1973), journalist, housework specialist and prolific non-fiction writer
  • Emmanuèle Bernheim (1955–2017), novelist and screenwriter
  • Carmen Bernos de Gasztold (1919–1995), poet
  • Louise Bertin (1805–1877), composer and poet
  • Mireille Best (1943–2005), novelist, often featuring lesbian characters
  • Nella Bielski (1930s – 2020), Ukrainian-born French novelist and actress
  • Gisèle Bienne (born 1946), novelist and writer for young adults
  • Raphaële Billetdoux (born 1951), novelist
  • Augustine-Malvina Blanchecotte (1830–1897), poet
  • Marie Bonaparte-Wyse (1831–1902), novelist, playwright
  • Louise de Bossigny (died 1700), fairy tale writer
  • Laurence Bougault (1970–2018), poet, essayist and travel writer
  • Catherine de Bourbon (1559–1604), princess, poet and letter writer
  • Louise Bourbonnaud (c. 1847–1915), writer, explorer and philanthropist
  • Jeanne Bouvier (1865–1964), feminist and trade unionist
  • Sarah Bouyain (born 1968), novelist and film director
  • Nina Bouraoui (born 1967), novelist
  • Dounia Bouzar (born 1964), anthropologist and writer
  • Brada (1847–1938), novelist, biographer, memoirist, scriptwriter
  • Marie-Anne de Bovet (1855 – unknown date), novelist and journalist
  • Anne-Sophie Brasme (born 1984), novelist
  • Geneviève Brisac (born 1951), novelist, short-story writer, children's writer, critic and screenwriter
  • Josette Bruce (1920–1996), Polish-born novelist
  • Andrée Brunin (1937–1993), poet, many of whose works have been set to music

C[]

  • Claude Cahun(1894–1954), poet, novelist, photograph, essayist, translator and résistante
  • Nina de Callias (1843–1884), poet and salonnière
  • Amélie-Julie Candeille (1767–1834), composer, librettist and playwright
  • Marcelle Capy (1891–1962), novelist, journalist and pacifist
  • Marie Cardinal (1929–2001), novelist
  • Pauline Cassin Caro (1828/34/35–1901), novelist
  • Castelloza (13th century), troubadour poet
  • Claire Castillon (born 1975), novelist and playwright
  • Anne-Marie Cazalis (1920–1988), journalist, poet, essayist, novelist and actress
  • Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force (1654–1724), successful novelist, poet and memoirist
  • Rosine de Chabaud-Latour (1794–1860), translator.[2]
  • Françoise Chandernagor (born 1945), novelist and playwright
  • Edmonde Charles-Roux (1920–2016), novelist, journalist and photographer
  • Noëlle Châtelet (born 1944), essayist, novelist, short story writer and educator
  • Chantal Chawaf (born 1943), novelist and essayist
  • Madeleine Chapsal (born 1925), novelist, poet and critic
  • Charlotte Saumaise de Chazan (1619–1684), poet and salon attendent
  • Élisabeth Sophie Chéron (1648–1711), painter, poet and translator
  • Maryse Choisy (1903–1979), philosopher, novelist and non-fiction writer
  • Hélène Cixous (born 1937), Algerian-born French novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, critic and feminist writer
  • Catherine Clément (born 1939), philosopher, novelist, feminist and critic
  • Gabrielle de Coignard (1550–1586), religious poet
  • Louise Colet (1810–1876), poet, novelist, salonist
  • Colette (1873–1954), novelist, author of Gigi
  • Henriette de Coligny de La Suze (1618–1673), poet
  • Anne-Hyacinthe de Colleville (1761–1824), novelist and playwright
  • Danielle Collobert (1940–1978), poet, novelist, short story writer and journalist
  • Rose Combe (1883–1932), novelist[3]
  • Sophie Ristaud Cottin (1770–1807), novelist, including several historical novels
  • Hélisenne de Crenne (1510–1552), novelist, epistolary writer and translator
  • Pauline Marie Armande Craven (1808–1891), non-fiction writer

D[]

  • Jocelyne Dakhlia (born 1959), French historian, anthropologist and academic
  • Gilberte H. Dallas, pen name of Gilberte Herschtel (1918–1960), poet, important member of the poètes maudits
  • Gerty Dambury (born 1957), poet, playwright and theatre director from Guadeloupe
  • Marie Darrieussecq (born 1969), novelist
  • Countess Dash, pen name of Gabrielle Anne Cisterne de Courtiras, vicomtesse de Saint-Mars (1804–1872), novelist
  • Régine Deforges (1935–2014), novelist, short story writer, essayist and playwright
  • Alix Delaporte (born 1969), film director and screenwriter
  • Lucie Delarue-Mardrus (1874–1945), poet, novelist, journalist and sculptor
  • Florence Delay (born 1941), novelist, essayist, playwright, translator and actress
  • Sylvie Denis (born 1963), novelist, magazine editor and translator
  • Maria Deraismes (1828–1894), playwright, essayist and women's rights activist
  • Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786–1859), poet and novelist
  • Antoinette Des Houlières (1638–1694), poet
  • Marie-Anne Desmarest (1904–1973), novelist
  • Catherine Des Roches (1542–1587), Renaissance poet, daughter of Madelaine Des Roches
  • Madeleine Des Roches (c.1520–1587), Renaissance poet, mother of Catherine Des Roches
  • Madeleine Desroseaux (1873–1939), Breton poet, novelist, playwright and short story writer
  • Jeanne Deroin (1805–1894), journalist and women's activist after the Revolution
  • Dominique Desanti (1920–2011), journalist, novelist, biographer and educator
  • Agnès Desarthe (born 1966), children's writer and novelist
  • Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786–1859), poet
  • Maryline Desbiolles (born 1959), novelist
  • Anne Desclos (1907–1998), journalist, novelist and translator, known under pen-names Pauline Réage and Dominique Aury
  • Madeleine Desroseaux (1873–1939), Breton-language poet and novelist
  • Régine Deforges (1935–2014) best-selling novelist, editor, director and playwright, known for her erotic works
  • Antoinette Deshoulières (1638–1694), poet
  • Virginie Despentes (born 1969), novelist and autobiographer
  • Marie Desplechin (born 1959), novelist and children's writer
  • Jane Dieulafoy (1851–1916), archaeologist, novelist and journalist
  • Louisa Emily Dobrée (fl. ca. 1877–1917), novelist, short story writer, children's writer, non-fiction writer
  • Geneviève Dormann (1933–2015), journalist and novelist
  • Pernette Du Guillet (c.1520–1545), Renaissance poet
  • Caroline Dubois (born 1960), poet
  • Charlotte Dubreuil (born 1940), novelist, filmmaker and screenwriter
  • Catherine Dufour (born 1966), novelist
  • Claire de Duras (1777–1828), novelist, author of Ourika
  • Marguerite Duras (1914–1996), novelist, playwright and screenwriter of Hiroshima mon amour
  • Vanessa Duriès (1972–1993), novelist author of The Ties That Bind
  • Yvette Duval (1931–2006), Moroccan-born French historian specializing in ancient North Africa

E[]

  • Françoise d'Eaubonne (1920–2005), feminist essayist and science fiction novelist
  • Alexandrine des Écherolles (1779–1850), memoirist
  • Catherine Enjolet, French novelist and essayist
  • Annie Ernaux (born 1940), autobiographical novelist
  • Claire Etcherelli (born 1934), novelist

F[]

G[]

  • Marie-Louise Gagneur (1832–1902), essayist, novelist and feminist
  • Jeanne Galzy (1883–1977), novelist and biographer
  • Anne-Marie Garat (born 1946), novelist
  • Anne F. Garréta (born 1962), novelist
  • Judith Gautier (1845–1917), poet, historical novelist, playwright, translator and music critic
  • Anna Gavalda (born 1970), best-selling novelist, short story writer and works widely translated
  • Sophie Gay (1776–1852), novelist, playwright and librettist
  • Stéphanie Félicité, comtesse de Genlis (1746–1830), novelist, playwright and children's writer
  • Rosemonde Gérard (1871–1953), poet and playwright
  • Sylvie Germain (born 1954), novelist, essayist and biographer
  • Amélie Gex (1835–1883), poet, who also wrote in Franco-Provençal
  • Delphine de Girardin (1804–1855), essayist, poet and novelist
  • Anne Golon (1921–2017), novelist author of the Angélique series of historical novels
  • Mélanie Gouby (active since 2011), journalist
  • Olympe de Gouges (1748–1793), playwright and feminist writer, executed after the Revolution
  • Marie de Gournay (1585–1645), novelist, essayist and critic
  • Françoise de Graffigny (1695–1758), novelist and playwright
  • Évelyne Grandjean (born 1939), actress, playwright and screenwriter
  • Henry Gréville, pen name of Alice Durand (1842–1902), widely translated novelist
  • Benoîte Groult (1920–2016), novelist and feminist
  • Claudine Guérin de Tencin (1682–1749), literary patron, novelist and correspondent
  • Pernette du Guillet (c. 1520–1545), poet, most of whose works were intended to be set to music

H[]

J[]

  • Paula Jacques (born 1949), Egyptian-born French novelist, journalist and radio host
  • Gaëlle Josse (born 1960), poet and novelist

K[]

  • Fabienne Kanor (born 1970), journalist, novelist and filmmaker
  • Maylis de Kerangal (born 1967), novelist
  • Kiyémis (born 1993), poet, Afro-feminist
  • Nadia Yala Kisukidi (born 1978), philosopher
  • Thérèse Kuoh-Moukouri (born 1938), Cameroon-born French novelist and essayist

L[]

  • Anne de La Roche-Guilhem (1644–1710), novelist, moved to England
  • Sylvie Lainé (born 1957), science fiction novelist and short story writer
  • Jeanne Lapauze (1860–1920), born Jeanne Loiseau, poet and novelist, who used the pen name Daniel Lesueur [[see: [permanent dead link] Loiseau at www.daniel-lesueur.com (1854–1921) <<french version>>]]
  • Camille Laurens (born 1957), novelist
  • Linda Lê (born 1963), Vietnamese-born French novelist
  • Simone Le Bargy (1877–1985), actress, novelist and memoirist
  • Martine Le Coz (born 1955), novelist, poet and non-fiction writer
  • Violette Leduc (1907–1972), novelist and autobiographer
  • Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (1711–1780), novelist and fairy tale writer, author of Beauty and the Beast

M[]

  • Jeanne Marni (1854–1910), novelist, playwright and essayist
  • Anne de Marquets (c. 1533–1588), religious poet, nun and author of Les Sonets spirituels
  • Agnès Martin-Lugand (born 1979), novelist
  • Sophie Massieu (born 1975), journalist
  • Renée Massip (1907–2002), novelist, journalist
  • Nicole-Claude Mathieu (1937–2014), sociologist specializing in gender studies
  • Meavenn, pen name of Francine Rozec (1911–1992), Breton-language poet, novelist and playwright
  • Natacha Michel (born 1941), political activist, novelist and critic
  • Marijane Minaberri (1926–2017), children's, poet and short story
  • Jane Misme (1865–1935), journalist and feminist
  • Ursule Molinaro (1916–2000), French-American novelist, playwright and translator, who wrote in French and English
  • Kenizé Mourad (born 1939), journalist, non-fiction writer and novelist

N[]

  • Marguerite de Navarre (1492–1549), poet, playwright and short story writer, including the collection Heptaméron
  • Marie NDiaye (born 1967), novelist and playwright
  • Anna de Noailles (1876–1933), highly acclaimed novelist, poet and autobiographer
  • Florence Noiville (born 1961), journalist, children's writer, novelist and non-fiction writer

O[]

  • Véronique Olmi (born 1962), novelist, playwright and short story writer
  • Mona Ozouf (born 1931), historian and philosopher

P[]

  • Katherine Pancol (born 1954), novelist, journalist and author of Les Yeux jaunes des crocodiles (The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles)
  • Madeleine Pelletier (1874–1939), feminist writer
  • Georges de Peyrebrune (1841–1917), prolific novelist, columnist and feminist
  • Anne Plichota (born 1968), children's writer and novelist
  • Maria Pognon (1844–1925), writer, journal editor, feminist, suffragist and pacifist
  • Aliénor de Poitiers (15th century), writer on court etiquette
  • Alice Poulleau (1885–1960), travel writer and geographer

R[]

S[]

  • Françoise Sagan (1935–2004), playwright, novelist and screenwriter, author of Bonjour Tristesse
  • Vefa de Saint-Pierre (1872–1967), explorer, reporter, Breton-language poet and children's writer
  • Lydie Salvayre (born 1948), novelist widely translated
  • George Sand (1804–1876), novelist and playwright, author of Indiana
  • Anne de Seguier 16th-century French poet and salon holder
  • Nathalie Sarraute (1900–1999), Russian-born French novelist, who pioneered the nouveau roman
  • Albertine Sarrazin (1937–1967), French-Algerian novelist, essayist and poet
  • Simone Schwarz-Bart (born 1938), Guadeloupean-French novelist, playwright and non-fiction writer
  • Ann Scott (born 1965), novelist, short story writer
  • Madeleine de Scudéry (1607–1701), novelist, works containing lengthy conversations
  • Countess of Ségur (1799–1874), Russian-born French novelist and children's writer
  • Eulalie de Senancour (1791–1876), journalist, novelist and children's writer
  • Coline Serreau (born 1947), actress, film director, playwright and essayist
  • Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné (1626–1696), correspondent
  • Shan Sa, pen name of Yan Ni (born 1972), Chinese-born French poet, novelist and painter, now writing in French
  • Maboula Soumahoro (born 1976), scholar, Afro-feminist
  • Germaine de Staël, also Madame de Staël (1766–1817), essayist, novelist, non-fiction writer and salonnière
  • Louise Swanton Belloc (1796–1881), translator, essayist, novelist, non-fiction writer, children's book writer and feminist

T[]

  • Tibors de Sarenom (12th century), troubadour poet writing in Occitan
  • Chantal Thomas (born 1945), historian and novelist
  • Édith Thomas (1909–1970), novelist, historian and journalist
  • Gilles Thomas, pen name of Éliane Taïeb (1929–1985), science fiction novelist
  • Annette Tison (born 1942), architect, children's writer and co-creator of Barbapapa
  • Valerie Toranian (born 1962), journalist and editor of Elle
  • Nicole Tourneur (1950–2011), novelist and children's writer
  • Elsa Triolet (1896–1970), Russian-born French novelist, first women to win the Prix Goncourt, wrote in Russian and French
  • Nadine Trintignant (born 1934), film editor, writer, director, producer and novelist
  • Flora Tristan (1803–1844), socialist writer and feminist

V[]

  • Valérie Valère (1961–1981), autobiographical novelist
  • Fred Vargas, pen name of Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau (born 1957), crime fiction writer and historian
  • Delphine de Vigan (born 1966), novelist and author of No et moi, translated into 20 languages
  • Marie-Catherine de Villedieu (1640–1683), playwright, novelist and short story writer
  • Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve (c.1695–1755), novelist, fairy tale writer and author of Belle et la Bête
  • Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin (1902–1969), novelist, poet and journalist
  • Renée Vivien (1877–1909), British-born French-language poet, often writing autobiographical verse
  • Élisabeth Vonarburg (born 1947), science-fiction novelist

W[]

  • Simone Weil (1909–1943), philosopher and non-fiction writer
  • Anne Wiazemsky (1947–2017), German-born French novelist and actress
  • Joëlle Wintrebert (born 1949), science fiction novelist and children's writer
  • Monique Wittig (1935–2003), novelist, playwright and feminist writer
  • Cendrine Wolf (born 1969), children's writer, who collaborates with Anne Plichota

Y[]

  • Marguerite Yourcenar (1903–1987), novelist and essayist

Z[]

References[]

  1. ^ Sabatier, Robert (1988). Femmes poètes du XIXe siècle (in French). Paris: Allen Michel. p. 16. ISBN 978-2-22601-395-8.
  2. ^ van Bragt, Katrin; d'Hulst, Lieven; Lambert, José (1995). Bibliographie des traductions françaises (1810-1840) (in French). Louvain: Presses Universitaires de Louvain. p. 257. ISBN 978-9-06186-707-4.
  3. ^ Dupuy, Aimé (1951). "Rose Combe, garde-barrière et romancière". La Vie du Rail (in French): 2.

See also[]

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