Colette

Colette (Sidonie-Gabrielle Claudine Colette, 1873–1954) was a French writer, journalist, and variety performer. Born in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye in Burgundy, she died in Paris. After her first marriage, she moved to Paris and initially published commercially successful novels under a pseudonym. Her best-known works include La Vagabonde, Chéri, and Mitsou; her extensive body of work also comprises stories, essays, memoirs, and letters. Colette was a member of the Académie Goncourt and became its president in 1949. She was appointed a knight of the French Legion of Honour in 1920 and made a Grand Officer in 1953. She was the first woman in France to receive a state funeral.