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 and filmmaker. She is known for her books and films that explore important social topics. Her work often looks at the challenges faced by people who are not often heard.
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About Virginie Despentes's Work
Virginie Despentes's writing often explores the challenges faced by young people. She writes about how society has changed and how new ways of communicating affect everyone. As a writer and filmmaker, she explores difficult or unusual topics. She shares her thoughts on society and challenges common ideas. Her characters often face tough situations and unfairness. She is one of the most popular French authors of her time.
Her book King Kong Theory is often read and discussed. It is especially popular among young women for its important ideas. After her 1993 novel ... Me was released, she was sometimes seen as an outsider in French literature. She received criticism from different groups. However, later works like Apocalypse Bébé (2010) and the Vernon Subutex series (2015–17) received many positive reviews.
Life and Career Journey
Virginie Despentes was born as Virginie Daget in 1969. She grew up in Nancy, France, in a working-class family. Her parents worked for the postal service. When she was 15, her parents sent her to a psychiatric hospital. She later felt that if she had been a boy, she might not have been sent there.
At age 17, Despentes left home and stopped going to school. As a teenager, she traveled by hitchhiking and followed rock bands. During one trip, she experienced a very difficult event.
Despentes later settled in Lyon. There, she worked in various jobs. She was a maid, a sales clerk in a record store, and a freelance rock journalist.
First Book and Film Adaptation
In 1994, her first book, ... Me, was published. The book is about two women who go on a journey after one of them experiences a difficult event. For this book, she chose the pen name Despentes. This name was inspired by a hilly neighborhood in Lyon where she used to live. She chose this name so her family could have some privacy from the book.
Despentes moved to Paris. In 2000, she directed the film ... Me. This film was based on her own novel. It was co-directed with Coralie Trinh Thi. The film became very well-known and caused much discussion after its release.
When talking about her life and work, Despentes explained that she wanted to live freely. She said she wanted to live "like a man," meaning she wanted the same freedoms and independence.
Her novel Les Jolies Choses was made into a film in 2001. The film starred Marion Cotillard. It won an award at the 2001 Deauville American Film Festival.
Later Works and Recognition
From 2004 to 2005, she wrote a blog 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. This book shares her experiences and the discussions around her book ... Me.
In 2009, she directed a documentary called Mutantes (Feminism ...). This film was shown on TV Pink.
In 2010, her novel Apocalypse bébé won the Renaudot prize, a major French literary award.
Her book Bye Bye Blondie was also adapted into a film. A stage play based on King Kong Theory was performed at the "Outside" Festival d'Avignon.
In 2011, her thoughts on a public event appeared in The Guardian newspaper.
The English translation 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. This was for an episode of the French reality television series Season 2.
Awards and Honors
Virginie Despentes has received several awards for her writing:
- In 1998, she won the Prix de Flore.
- In 1999, she won the Prix Saint-Valentin for Les Jolies Choses.
- In 2010, she won the Prix Renaudot for Apocalypse Bébé.
She became a member of the Académie Goncourt on 5 January 2016. This is a very important French literary group. Despentes left this position on 5 January 2020. She wanted to spend more time writing her books.
In 2018, Despentes was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. This was for her book Vernon Subutex 1, which was translated into English by Frank Wynne.
See also
- List of female film and television directors
- List of lesbian filmmakers
- List of LGBT-related films directed by women
