Willy

Henry Gauthier-Villars, better known by the pen name Willy, was a French writer and music critic born in 1859 and died in 1931. He was active in the lively literary world of fin-de-siècle France and wrote under several names, but Willy is the one most closely associated with him.

He is now often introduced as the first husband of Colette, and that relationship has shaped much of his reputation. His name is especially tied to the early Claudine novels, which became famous and remain part of the story of Colette's rise as a writer.

Beyond that connection, Willy was also known in his own time as a journalist, critic, and literary personality with a strong public presence. His career sits at the crossroads of French popular literature, journalism, and the artistic culture of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Paris.