Darrieussecq M. © Charles Freger-POL
Marie Darrieussecq is a prominent French author and translator. Born in Bayonne, in Basque France, she holds a thesis on autofiction and autobiography from the École Normale Supérieure, Paris. Before dedicating herself exclusively to writing, she worked as a psychoanalyst.
Darrieussecq made a well-celebrated debut in 1996 with the novel Truismes (Pig Tales). This critique on the wellness industry and body image narrates the story of a nameless female protagonist who slowly transforms into a pig. She has since authored over 20 books, spanning novels, short stories, biographies, non-fiction, and theatre works. Her career has garnered significant recognition, notably the Prix Médicis and the Prix des Prix (2013) for her novel Il faut beaucoup aimer les hommes (One Must Love Men a Lot).
Her non-fiction work, Fabriquer une Femme (Creating a Woman, 2024), explores the theme of feminine identity and the social pressures and constructions surrounding being a woman, often touching on Darrieussecq’s own experiences and observations.
The recently translated book, Sleepless (Pas Dormir, 2023), is a meditative reflection on her personal experience of living with insomnia for twenty years. Far from being a simple memoir or a monograph on the condition, it blends literary critique and scientific inquiry with a whiff of Darrieussecq’s signature wry prose.
Darrieussecq is also an accomplished translator, and has notably translated Sheena Patel’s I’m a Fan into French (Je suis Fan, Gallimard, 2025*).
Book
Sleepless (Semiotext(e), 2023)
