The life and legacy of literature’s most artful self-creation: Colette.

French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873–1954) was a strikingly modern celebrity: the most photographed author of the twentieth century, her marketing genius stretched from hair products themed after her most famous character to her own line of cosmetics. Beloved during her lifetime by critics on both the left and the right and later embraced by feminists of the 1960s and 70s, Colette’s works explored women’s lives, from schooling to careers, maternity, aging, and sexuality. And her voice today remains as vibrant and popular as ever. Colette’s own life was no less varied than her often self-referential works, including affairs with men and women, three marriages, a stage career, and her roles as a journalist and literary editor. Kathleen Antonioli explores Colette’s rich and storied life and literary legacy, her work, private correspondence, and her carefully crafted public persona.