Anne Golon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anne Golon
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Anne Golon in May 2014
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| Born | Simone Changeux 17 December 1921 Toulon, France |
| Died | 14 July 2017 (aged 95) Versailles, France |
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| Occupation | Novelist |
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| Notable works | Angélique series |
| Spouse | Serge Golon |
| Children | 4 (including Pierre Goloubinoff) |
Anne Golon (born Simone Changeux; December 17, 1921 – July 14, 2017) was a French author. Many English-speaking readers know her as Sergeanne Golon. She wrote the popular Angélique novels. These books have sold over 150 million copies worldwide. They have also inspired many movies and TV shows.
Contents
About Anne Golon
Anne Golon was born Simone Changeux on December 17, 1921. Her birthplace was Toulon, a port city in southeastern France. Her father, Pierre Changeux, was a scientist and a captain in the French Navy.
From a young age, Anne loved painting and writing. She published her first novel at age 18. It was called The Country From Behind My Eyes. She used the pen name Joëlle Danterne for this book.
Early Life and World War II
During World War II, Anne traveled across France to Spain. She used a bicycle for her journey. She wrote under different pen names during this time. She also helped create a magazine called France Magazine. Anne even won a literary prize for her book The Patrol of the Saint Innocents.
Meeting Serge Golon
In 1947, Anne was sent to Africa as a journalist. There, she met Vsevolod Sergeïvich Goloubinoff. He was a Russian scientist and explorer. He later became known as Serge Golon. Anne and Serge fell in love and got married.
The Angélique Series
Anne and Serge worked together on their first book, Angélique: Marquise of the Angels. It was published in 1956. This book was the start of the famous Angélique series. The novel became a huge success very quickly.
When the Angélique novels first came out in France, both Anne and Serge Golon were credited. Anne was the main writer. Serge helped a lot with historical research for the books. Later, British publishers combined their names to "Sergeanne Golon." This was done when the series was translated into English.
Angélique on Screen
The Angélique novels became very popular. This led to a series of five movies in the 1960s. Bernard Borderie directed these films. The actress Michèle Mercier played Angélique. Robert Hossein played her husband, Joffrey de Peyrac.
Later Life and Challenges
In 1972, Anne and Serge traveled to Canada. They were researching for a new Angélique novel. Sadly, Serge died that same year. Anne was writing Angélique and the Ghosts at the time.
Anne continued writing and raising her four children. Between 1972 and 1985, she wrote four more books in the series. These included the second half of Ghosts and La Victoire d'Angélique.
By the 1990s, Anne faced financial difficulties. She started a lawsuit against her French publisher, Hachette. She claimed they misused her copyright and did not pay her enough. After almost ten years, she won the legal battle in 2006. This agreement made her the sole owner of the Angélique series.
Anne Golon passed away on July 14, 2017, in Versailles, France.
