About
Hélène Cixous, born June 5, 1937 in Oran, is a major figure in contemporary literature and thought. After studies in Paris, she co-founded the experimental University of Paris VIII-Vincennes in 1968 and in 1974 founded the Centre for Women's Studies there, the first doctoral program in women's studies in Europe. Her essay The Laugh of the Medusa (1975) is a foundational text of poststructuralist feminist theory, introducing the concept of écriture féminine. Author of more than seventy books, she received the Prix Médicis for her first novel Inside (1969) and the Prix de la BnF in 2021 for her entire body of work.
* 1937-06-05
Major works
- Dedans (1969)novel
- Le Rire de la Méduse (1975)essay
- L'Histoire terrible mais inachevée de Norodom Sihanouk, roi du Cambodge (1985)play
- L'Indiade (1987)play
- La Ville parjure (1994)play
Key milestones
- 1968Co-founded the experimental University of Paris VIII-Vincennes.
- 1974Founded the Centre for Women's Studies at Paris VIII.
- 2021Received the Prix de la BnF for her entire body of work.
Themes
écriture fémininefeminismidentityexilelanguage
Sources: britannica.com · bnf.fr · poetryfoundation.org