Edmonde Charles-Roux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edmonde Charles-Roux
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Edmonde Charles-Roux in 2011
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| Born | Marie-Charlotte Élisabeth Edmonde Charles-Roux 17 April 1920 Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France |
| Died | 20 January 2016 (aged 95) Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France |
| Notable awards | Prix Goncourt |
Edmonde Charles-Roux (born April 17, 1920 – died January 20, 2016) was a famous French writer. She was also a brave nurse during World War II and a successful journalist. She is best known for her award-winning novel Oublier Palerme.
Contents
Early Life
Edmonde Charles-Roux was born in 1920 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Her father, Francois Charles-Roux, was a very important person. He used to be the French ambassador to Czechoslovakia. He was also the last leader of the company that managed the Suez Canal. Her grandfather, Jules Charles-Roux, was a businessman and politician.
World War II Hero
During World War II, Edmonde Charles-Roux volunteered as a nurse. She first helped soldiers in a French Foreign Legion unit. She was even hurt while helping a soldier in Verdun.
Later, she joined the French Resistance. This was a secret group fighting against the occupation of France. She continued to work as a nurse. She also helped soldiers and their families. She served with several important military groups.
For her bravery, she received the Croix de Guerre award. In 1945, she was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. This is one of France's highest awards.
A Career in Journalism
After the war, in 1946, Edmonde joined the team of a new magazine called Elle. She worked there for two years. In 1948, she started working for the French version of Vogue magazine. She became the magazine's editor-in-chief in 1954.
As editor, she made Vogue more accessible to everyone. She also featured many new and exciting artists. These included writers like Violette Leduc and photographers like William Klein. She also worked with famous designers like Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. She combined fashion with other creative arts like pop art. She left Vogue Paris in 1966. This happened because she wanted to put a black woman on the cover of the magazine. This was a very bold idea at the time.
Becoming a Writer
Just three months after leaving Vogue, in 1966, Edmonde Charles-Roux wrote her first novel. It was called Oublier Palerme. This book won the famous Prix Goncourt. This is a major literary award in France. The novel was later made into a movie in 1990.
In the same year she won the Goncourt prize, she met Gaston Defferre. He was the mayor of Marseille. They got married in 1973.
Edmonde Charles-Roux also wrote other books. She wrote photo stories about Gaston Defferre and about the famous fashion designer Coco Chanel. She also wrote stories for several ballets.
In 1983, she became a member of the Académie Goncourt. This is a group of writers who choose the winner of the Prix Goncourt. She became its president in 2002.
In 2010, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy gave her another high honor. She was made a Commandeur of the Legion of Honour.
Edmonde Charles-Roux passed away on January 20, 2016, in Marseille. She was 95 years old.
Main Works
- Oublier Palerme, 1966, a novel that won the Prix Goncourt.
- Elle, Adrienne, 1971, another novel.
- L'Irrégulière ou mon itinéraire Chanel, 1974, a biography about Coco Chanel.
- Stèle pour un bâtard, 1980, a novel.
- 'Une enfance sicilienne, 1981, a novel.
- Un désir d'Orient, 1989, a biography of Isabelle Eberhardt.
- Nomade j'étais, 1995, another biography of Isabelle Eberhardt.
- L'homme de Marseille, 2003, a photo album about Gaston Defferre.
- Isabelle du désert, 2003, a combined edition of her Isabelle Eberhardt biographies.
- Le Temps Chanel, 1979, a photo album about Coco Chanel.
Books Translated into English
- To forget Palermo, 1968.
- Chanel: her life, her world, and the woman behind the legend she herself created, 1975.
- Also published as Chanel and her world: friends, fashion, and fame, 2005.
See also
In Spanish: Edmonde Charles-Roux para niños
