Find out more about the greatest French Essayists, including Voltaire, Simone de Beauvoir, Pierre Bourdieu, Michel Houellebecq and Henri Bergson.
Voltaire21 November 1694
Writer
Simone de Beauvoir09 January 1908
Writer
Denis Diderot05 October 1713
Philosopher
Henri Bergson18 October 1859
Philosopher and Writer
René Girard25 December 1923
Philosopher
Pierre Bourdieu01 August 1930
Philosopher, Sociologist, Anthropologist,
Michel Houellebecq26 February 1956
Poet, Film director, Songwriter, Essayist,
Guy Debord28 December 1931
Film maker, Artist, Philosopher, Film director,
François-René de Chateaubriand04 September 1768
Writer, Politician, Diplomat, Historian, Poet,
Tristan Tzara16 April 1896
Art collector, Poet, Writer, Diplomat, Film
Romain Rolland29 January 1866
Writer, Playwright, Essayist, Historian, Novelist,
Michel Onfray01 January 1959
Philosopher, Writer, Historian, Essayist, Audio
Edmond Rostand01 April 1868
Playwright, Writer, Poet, Essayist, Screenwriter
Georges Perec07 March 1936
Writer, Film director, Screenwriter, Poet,
Gérard de Nerval25 May 1808
Writer
Robert Faurisson25 January 1929
Essayist, Faculty, University teacher, Writer,
Sully Prudhomme16 March 1839
Poet, Writer, Essayist, Diarist
Charles Péguy07 January 1873
Poet
Pierre Loti14 January 1850
Writer, Q3349700, Novelist, Essayist, Diarist,
Pascal Bruckner15 December 1948
Writer, Novelist, Essayist, Screenwriter
Léon Bloy11 July 1846
Writer, Poet, Essayist, Journalist, Novelist,
Jean Giraudoux29 October 1882
Playwright, Screenwriter, Diplomat, Novelist,
Benjamin Fondane14 November 1898
Linguist, Poet, Librarian, Film director,
Joseph Joubert07 May 1754
Philosopher, Essayist, Writer
Louis Gabriel Ambroise de Bonald02 October 1754
Philosopher, Politician, Essayist
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio13 April 1940
Writer