author
Mme Emile de Girardin
1804–1855
A sharp, celebrated voice in 19th-century French letters, she wrote poetry, fiction, plays, and witty newspaper pieces that made her a standout in Paris literary life. Writing under names including Vicomte Delaunay, she brought elegance and bite to everything from society sketches to drama.
3 Audiobooks
The Cross of Berny; Or, Irene's Lovers
by Mme Emile de Girardin, Théophile Gautier, Joseph Méry, Jules Sandeau
La canne de M. de Balzac
by Mme Emile de Girardin
Essais poétiques
by Mme Emile de Girardin
About the author
Born Delphine Gay in 1804, she became known as Delphine de Girardin after marrying journalist Émile de Girardin. She was the daughter of novelist Sophie Gay and grew up in a literary world, later building a reputation of her own as a poet, novelist, dramatist, journalist, and salon hostess.
She published under several names, including Vicomte Delaunay and Charles de Launay, and was admired for her lively, polished writing. Her work moved easily between verse, fiction, theater, and journalism, and her social and literary salon in Paris helped make her an influential figure in the cultural life of her time.
Delphine de Girardin died in Paris in 1855. Today she is remembered as one of the notable French women writers of the 19th century, especially for the intelligence, wit, and range she brought to both literature and journalism.