Find out more about the greatest 19th Century French Writers, including Victor Hugo, Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas, Thérèse of Lisieux and Marcel Proust.
Victor Hugo26 February 1802
Author & Poet
Alexandre Dumas24 July 1802
Marquis de Sade02 June 1740
Erotic Novelist
Jules Verne08 February 1828
Writer
Colette28 January 1873
Novelist
Marcel Proust10 July 1871
French novelist
Guy de Maupassant05 August 1850
Novelist & Short Story Writer
Charles Baudelaire09 April 1821
Poet
Arthur Rimbaud20 October 1854
Poet
George Sand01 July 1804
Jean Cocteau05 July 1889
Novelist, Poet, Artist & Filmmaker
Gustave Flaubert12 December 1821
Novelist, Writer
Henri Bergson18 October 1859
Philosopher and Writer
Antonin Artaud04 September 1896
Dramatist, Poet, Essayist, Actor, & Theatre
Hilaire Belloc27 July 1870
Writer
Anatole France16 April 1844
Writer
Alexander Berkman21 November 1870
Editor
Robert W. Service16 January 1874
Poet & Writer
Stéphane Mallarmé18 March 1842
Poet
Alphonse Daudet13 May 1840
Novelist, Short story writer, playwright, poet
Alfred de Musset11 December 1810
Dramatist, Poet, Novelist
Emile Zola02 April 1840
French novelist
Andre Breton19 February 1896
Founder of Surrealism
Oscar Milosz28 May 1877
Poet
Paul Valery30 October 1871
Poet
Elisee Reclus15 March 1830
Geographer, Anarchist, Writer
Andre Gide22 November 1869
Georges Bataille10 September 1897
Philosopher, Librarian, Poet, Novelist, Writer,
Auguste Escoffier28 October 1846
Chef
Vilfredo Pareto15 July 1848
Economist, Writer, Philosopher, Sociologist,
Paul Verlaine30 March 1844
Poet, Essayist, Writer, Librettist
Guillaume Apollinaire25 August 1880
Poet
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Arthur de Gobineau14 July 1816
Racial theorist, Philosopher, Writer, Diplomat,
Paul Claudel06 August 1868
Playwright, Poet, Diplomat, Writer, Diarist, Poet
Allan Kardec03 October 1804
Writer, Teacher, Philosopher
Georges Sorel02 November 1847
Philosopher, Engineer, Sociologist, Writer, Trade
Tristan Tzara16 April 1896
Art collector, Poet, Writer, Diplomat, Film
Jacques Maritain18 November 1882
Philosopher, Educationist, Writer
Romain Rolland29 January 1866
Writer, Playwright, Essayist, Historian, Novelist,
Gaston Bachelard27 June 1884
Philosopher, Poet, Writer, University teacher
Joris-Karl Huysmans05 February 1848
Writer, Art critic, Novelist
Paul Langevin23 January 1872
Physicist, Professor, Chemist, Philosopher of
Adolphe Thiers15 April 1797
Lawyer, Politician, Journalist, Historian, Writer
Jean-Baptiste Say05 January 1767
Economist, Politician, Writer, Professor,
Gaston Leroux06 May 1868
Journalist, Writer, Novelist, Screenwriter
Théophile Gautier31 August 1811
writer, journalist, playwright, literary critic,
Marc Bloch06 July 1886
Historian, Medievalist, University teacher, Writer
Charles Maurras20 April 1868
Author
Jules Michelet21 August 1798
Historian, Archivist, Writer, Diarist, Professor,
Francis Picabia22 January 1879
Painter, Writer, Screenwriter, Poet
Eliphas Levi08 February 1810
Philosopher, Non-fiction writer, Occultist
Edmond Rostand01 April 1868
Playwright, Writer, Poet, Essayist, Screenwriter
Gabriel Marcel07 December 1889
Playwright, Philosopher, Writer, University
Alfred Jarry08 September 1873
Playwright, Writer, Poet, Novelist
Marcel Pagnol28 February 1895
Theatre director, Film director, Writer,
Claude Cahun25 October 1894
Artist, Photographer, Writer
Louis Aragon03 October 1897
Writer, Journalist, Politician, Poet, Novelist,
Prosper Mérimée28 September 1803
Anthropologist, Archaeologist, Historian,
Freya Stark31 January 1893
Explorer
François Mauriac11 October 1885
Writer, Journalist, Poet, Novelist, Playwright,
Maurice Leblanc11 November 1864
Writer, Novelist, Science fiction writer
François Guizot04 October 1787
Politician, Diplomat, Historian, Translator,
George du Maurier06 March 1834
Writer, Illustrator
Alexandre Dumas, fils27 July 1824
Author
Sully Prudhomme16 March 1839
Poet, Writer, Essayist, Diarist
Adah Isaacs Menken15 June 1835
Actress
Louis Blanc29 October 1811
Journalist, Politician, Historian, Writer
Maurice de Vlaminck04 April 1876
Painter, Writer, Sculptor, Graphic artist
Comte de Lautréamont04 April 1846
Poet, Writer
René Clair11 November 1898
Screenwriter, Actor, Film director, Film producer,
Max Jacob12 July 1876
Painter, Poet, Writer, Literary critic
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr24 November 1808
Journalist, Writer, Novelist
Charles Péguy07 January 1873
Poet
Blaise Cendrars01 September 1887
War correspondent, Journalist, Poet, Writer,
Pierre Loti14 January 1850
Writer, Q3349700, Novelist, Essayist, Diarist,
Maurice Denis25 November 1870
Painter, Illustrator, Lithographer, Writer, Art
Ouida01 January 1839
Novelist
Camille Flammarion26 February 1842
astronomer, writer, balloonist, science fiction
Georges Bernanos20 February 1888
Author
Jean Giono30 March 1895
Writer, Screenwriter, Novelist
Jean-Henri Fabre22 December 1823
Entomologist, Writer, University teacher, Poet
Émile Bernard28 April 1868
Painter, Poet, Writer
Louis Bachelier11 March 1870
Mathematician, Economist, Non-fiction writer
Sacha Guitry21 February 1885
Screenwriter, Actor, Playwright, Film director,
Henri Michaux24 May 1899
Painter, Poet, Writer
Léon Bloy11 July 1846
Writer, Poet, Essayist, Journalist, Novelist,
Saint-John Perse31 May 1887
Poet, Writer, Diplomat
Jean Giraudoux29 October 1882
Playwright, Screenwriter, Diplomat, Novelist,
Albert Marquet27 March 1875
Painter, Writer
Lucien Febvre22 July 1878
Historian, Professor, Writer
Benjamin Fondane14 November 1898
Linguist, Poet, Librarian, Film director,
Henri Barbusse17 May 1873
Writer, Journalist, Esperantist, Screenwriter,
Julien Benda26 December 1867
Philosopher, Writer
Anna de Noailles15 November 1876
Writer, Salon-holder, Poet, Model
Jean Rostand30 October 1894
Philosopher, Biologist, Writer
Jules Renard22 February 1864
writer, aphorist, playwright, novelist, diarist