Meet the Author
Colette
French · 1873–1954 · Novelist
A scandalous, sensual writer who claimed women's pleasure and freedom as serious subjects.
3 StoryBites Editions
Why read Colette?
Colette writes about desire, aging, and independence with a frankness that shocked her era and still feels bold. Her prose is lush and precise, alive to the body, food, animals, and the seasons. She turned a life of performance and scandal into some of France's most beloved fiction.
A life in six dates
- 1873Born in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, France
- 1900The Claudine novels appear, first under her husband's name
- 1920Publishes Chéri
- 1944Publishes Gigi
- 1954Dies in Paris and receives a state funeral
The StoryBites Editions
Context that actually matters
Belle Époque ParisIts theaters and salons shaped her performer's eye and daring life.
Female desireShe insisted women's sensuality and autonomy belonged in literature.
Reclaiming her nameShe fought to be credited for work first published under her husband's byline.