Emile Zola

Émile Zola (1840–1902) was a French writer and journalist and one of the leading figures of naturalism. Born in Paris to an Italian engineer, he began his career in journalism before turning to fiction. He attracted literary attention with “Thérèse Raquin” (1867). Zola is best known for “Les Rougon-Macquart,” a cycle of twenty novels portraying French society under the Second Empire. His major works include “L’Assommoir,” “Nana,” and “Germinal.” In 1898, during the Dreyfus Affair, he published the open letter “J’accuse…!”, which established him as a prominent politically engaged writer.