Marguerite Yourcenar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marguerite Yourcenar
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| Born | Marguerite Antoinette Jeanne Marie Ghislaine Cleenewerck de Crayencour 8 June 1903 Brussels, Belgium |
| Died | 17 December 1987 (aged 84) Bar Harbor, Maine, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist, essayist, poet |
| Nationality | French, American |
| Notable works | Mémoires d'Hadrien |
| Notable awards | Erasmus Prize (1983) |
| Partner | Grace Frick (1937–1979; Frick's death) |
Marguerite Yourcenar (born June 8, 1903 – died December 17, 1987) was a famous French writer. She was born in Brussels, Belgium. She later became a citizen of the United States in 1947.
Marguerite Yourcenar wrote many novels and essays. She won important awards like the Prix Femina and the Erasmus Prize. In 1980, she made history by becoming the first woman ever chosen to join the Académie française. This is a very old and respected group that protects the French language.
Contents
About Her Life
Early Years and Name Change
Marguerite Yourcenar was born with a longer name: Marguerite Antoinette Jeanne Marie Ghislaine Cleenewerck de Crayencour. Her father was French and came from a wealthy family. Her mother was Belgian and sadly died soon after Marguerite was born. Marguerite grew up with her father's mother.
Later, she decided to use the name Yourcenar as her writing name, also called a pen name. It is almost the same as her family name, Crayencour, but with one less 'c'. In 1947, she officially changed her legal last name to Yourcenar.
Starting Her Writing Career
Marguerite Yourcenar published her first novel, called Alexis, in 1929. She also worked as a translator. For example, she spent ten months in 1937 translating a book called The Waves by the English writer Virginia Woolf.
Moving to America
In 1939, a friend named Grace Frick invited Marguerite to come to the United States. This was a good idea because World War II was starting in Europe. Marguerite then taught about literature in New York City and at Sarah Lawrence College.
Marguerite Yourcenar and Grace Frick lived together for many years. They bought a house in Northeast Harbor, Maine, on Mount Desert Island. They lived there for decades. They are buried next to each other in a cemetery in Somesville, Maine.
Her Most Famous Book
In 1951, Marguerite Yourcenar published her most famous novel in France. It was called Memoirs of Hadrian. She had been working on this book for about ten years. The book was very popular right away and received great reviews.
In Memoirs of Hadrian, Yourcenar tells the story of Hadrian, a powerful Roman emperor from ancient times. The story is written as a long letter from Hadrian to Marcus Aurelius, who would become the next emperor. Hadrian thinks about his life, his successes, and his challenges. He also writes about his love for Antinous and his ideas about life. This novel is now considered a classic book.
Joining the French Academy
In 1980, Marguerite Yourcenar became the first woman to be elected to the Académie française. This was a very important moment because the Academy had only had male members before. People even joked that the signs on the bathrooms had to be changed to say "Gents/Marguerite Yourcenar"!
She wrote many novels, essays, and poems. She also started a series of three books about her own life. When she passed away, she was still working on the third book in this series.
Her house on Mount Desert Island, called Petite Plaisance, is now a museum. It helps people remember her and her work.
Awards and Recognition
Marguerite Yourcenar received many honors and awards for her writing. Here are some of them:
- 1952: Prix Femina Vacaresco for Mémoires d'Hadrien (Memoirs of Hadrian)
- 1958: Prix Renée Vivien for Les charités d'Alcippe
- 1963: Prix Combat for Sous bénéfice d'inventaire
- 1968: Prix Femina for L'Œuvre au noir (The Abyss)
- 1972: Prix Prince Pierre de Monaco for all her writings
- 1974: Grand Prix national de la culture for Souvenirs pieux
- 1977: Grand Prix de l'Académie française for all her writings
- 1980: Elected to the Académie française, becoming the first woman to join
- 1983: Winner of the Erasmus Prize for her contributions to European literature and culture
- 1987: Became a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2003: Belgium released a postage stamp with her picture on it.
- 2020: Google celebrated her 117th birthday with a special Google Doodle on their homepage.
Images for kids
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Marguerite Yourcenar's funeral plate. The words on it are from her novel The Abyss. They say: "May it please the One who is perchance to expand the human heart to life's full measure."
See also
In Spanish: Marguerite Yourcenar para niños
