Virginie Despentes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Virginie Despentes
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Despentes in March 2012
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| Born | 13 June 1969 Nancy, France |
| Occupation | Novelist, filmmaker |
| Language | French |
| Years active | 1993– |
Virginie Despentes (born 13 June 1969) is a French writer, novelist, and filmmaker. She is known for her work that explores important social topics and the lives of different people.
About Her Books and Films
Virginie Despentes is a very popular French author. Her books and films often look at society and challenge common ideas. Her book King Kong Theory is sometimes studied in classes about gender. Many young women are told to read it by older mentors. Later books like Apocalypse Bébé (2010) and the Vernon Subutex series (2015–17) also received many good reviews.
Her Life and Career Journey
Virginie Despentes was born as Virginie Daget in 1969. She grew up in Nancy, France, in a family where her parents worked for the postal service. When she was 15, she was sent to a hospital for mental health against her will by her parents. She later said she believed this would not have happened if she had been a boy.
At age 17, Despentes left home and stopped going to school. As a teenager, she traveled by hitchhiking and followed rock bands.
In 1994, her first book Baise-moi was published. For this book, she started using the pen name Despentes. This name was inspired by La Croix-Rousse, an old, hilly neighborhood in Lyon where she used to live. The word "pente" in French means "hill." She chose this name so her family would not be directly linked to the book.
Despentes later moved to Paris. Her 1993 novel was made into a film. After the book and film came out, she became a well-known figure.
Her novel Les Jolies Choses was made into a film called Pretty Things in 2001. It starred Marion Cotillard. The film won an award called the Michel d'Ornano prize at the 2001 Deauville American Film Festival.
From 2004 to 2005, she wrote a blog where she shared about her daily life.
In 2005, she wrote three songs for the music group A.S. Dragon.
In 2006, she published her non-fiction book King Kong Theory.
In 2010, her novel Apocalypse bébé won the Renaudot prize, which is a major French literary award.
Her book Bye Bye Blondie was also made into a film. A stage play based on King Kong Theory was performed during the "Outside" Festival d'Avignon.
In 2011, her thoughts on a news event appeared in The Guardian newspaper.
The English version of her novel Vernon Subutex 1 was considered for the 2018 Man Booker International Prize.
On 18 August 2023, she was a special guest judge on an episode of Drag Race France, a French reality TV show.
Awards and Recognitions
Virginie Despentes has won several important awards for her writing:
- 1998: Prix de Flore
- 1999: Prix Saint-Valentin for Les Jolies Choses
- 2010: Prix Renaudot for Apocalypse Bébé
On 5 January 2016, she became a member of the Académie Goncourt. This is a very respected group in France that gives out literary awards. Despentes left this position on 5 January 2020 to focus more on her writing.
In 2018, her book Vernon Subutex 1 was considered for the International Booker Prize.
See also
- List of female film and television directors
- List of lesbian filmmakers
- List of LGBT-related films directed by women
