Arthur Dourliac

Born Victor Émile Arthur Couillard in Saint-Quentin on November 3, 1848, he wrote under the pen name Arthur Dourliac. French reference sources describe him as a novelist, especially known for historical fiction, and note that he died in Neuilly-sur-Seine on May 28, 1905.

Before turning fully to literature, he worked as a pharmacist and later served as an assistant at the Bibliothèque nationale. That mix of practical work and close contact with books seems to fit the kind of career he built: well-read, productive, and drawn to the drama of earlier times.

Bibliographic records also note that his pen name was an anagrammatic pseudonym based on his family name, Couillard. His works continued to circulate through French library collections, and titles such as Les apprentis de l'armurier helped keep his name associated with accessible, entertaining historical novels.