Sidonie-Gabrielle Claudine Colette

Sidonie-Gabrielle Claudine Colette (1873–1954) was a French writer and is regarded as a modern classic of French literature. She wrote her first works as a ghostwriter for the novel series produced by her first husband. After their separation, she worked alongside her writing as a journalist, actress, and pantomime artist. Her extensive body of work includes novels, short stories, essays, memoirs, and letters. In 1945, she was admitted to the Académie Goncourt and was elected its president in 1949. She was made a Knight of the Légion d’honneur in 1920 and a Grand Officer in 1953. After her death, she became the first woman in France to receive a state funeral.