Marcelle Auclair (11 November 1899 – 6 June 1983) was a French novelist, biographer, journalist and poet. She published biographies of several important historical figures, translated major historical/literary documents into French from Spanish, and wrote a novel. She also published an autobiographical work, two books on popular psychology, a religious book for children, a book on artistic images of Jesus. Several of her books were translated into English. She was co-founder with Jean Prouvost of the fashion magazine Marie Claire.

Biography Marcelle Auclair was born 11 November 1899 in Montluçon, central France, and died in Paris on 6 June 1984.<ref name=rougeron05>"AUCLAlR (Marcelle), née à Montluçon le 11 novembre 1899; fille du précédent.... Marcelle Auclair a publié des biographies: La Vie de Sainte Thérèse d'Avila (1950), La Vie de Jean Jaurès (1954), ... Décédée à Paris le 6 juin 1983" (p. 265). In: (285 pages).</ref> She was the daughter of the architect Victor Auclair and his wife Eugénie Rateau. She spent part of her childhood and youth in Chile, where her father settled in 1906 to participate in the country's reconstruction after a devastating earthquake. She did her schooling in Santiago (Chile), where she also learned Spanish and English while reading French authors.

Returning to France in 1923, she married the writer Jean Prévost (m. April 28, 1926), with whom she had three children (Michel, Françoise, and Alain).<ref name=merwin05></ref> They divorced in 1938.

Literary and journalistic contributions Subjects of Biographies by Marcelle Auclair

Auclair published biographies of two Roman Catholic saints, Teresa of Avila (1950) (493 pages) and Bernadette of Lourdes (1957). (284 pages) She also published biographies of Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, whom she knew personally (1968), (477 pages) and of the early 20th century pro-peace French socialist Jean Jaurès (1954). (673 pages)

Auclair's first original publicationEarlier, in 1917, she is credited with having presented a 16-page paper, Heredia: Conferencia leída en la Biblioteca Nacional (16 pages). was Transparence, a book of original poetry in Spanish, published when she was 20 years old, and living in Santiago, Chile. (95 pages). Another early publication, in French, was Auclair's novel, Toya, published in 1927.Toya,

In 1937, Auclair and Jean Prouvost founded the fashion magazine Marie Claire.<ref name=touret05>"Avec Jean Prouvost, Marcelle Auclair fonda « Marie-Claire » magazine féminin inspiré des magazines américains.... Décédée à Paris le 6 juin 1983, elle est inhumée dans l'Essonne auprès de son père" (p. 318). In: (351 pages).</ref><ref name=leenaerts10>"Lancé por Jean Prouvost en 1937, le principal acteur de ce renouvellement porte le (prè)nom Marie Claire. Placèe sous la direction de Marcelle Auclair et de Pierre Bost, cette publication qui recourt volontiers au ton de la confidence, s’adresse à l’ensemble des femmes et non plu à la seule bourgeoisie." (p. 65). In: (403 pages).</ref> Auclair wrote many articles for Marie Claire, extending over a period of several years. In A History of Private Life (1991),<ref name=prost91>Antoine Prost (1991). "Public and Private Spheres in France". In: . Translation of Histoire de la privée. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1987.</ref> writing about Auclair's time as a columnist for the magazine Marie Claire, Antoine Prost stated that

In the 1950s, Auclair published two popular books on how to lead a happy life, Le bonheur est en vous (1951) and La Pratique du bonheur (1956).Le bonheur est en vous (1951) and La Pratique du bonheur (1956).

In 1953, Auclair published a French-language children's book about the life of Jesus. (126 pages) The book was republished in English translation in both the US (93 pages). Translation of La bonne nouvelle annoncee aux enfants and the UK. (125 pages)

Auclair's translation of the complete works of Teresa of Avila from Spanish to French was first published in 1964.Teresa of Avila, Oeuvres complètes (Marcelle Auclair, trans.). First edition, in one volume (Paris: Desclée de Brouwer, 1964): Œuvres complètes (1177 pages). Fifth edition in two volumes (Paris: Desclée de Brouwer, 2007): Oeuvres complètes, vol. I, , (pp. 605 pages); vol. II, , (pp. 610-1177).

At age 78, five years before her death, Auclair published an autobiographical work with her daughter, actress Françoise Prévost. (429 pages)

In European Literary Heritage,"Marcelle (Auclair)" (pp. 279-280) in: (600 pages) (vol 13 of Patrimoine littéraire européen: anthologie en langue française, published 1992-2000, , ) Auclair was described as "particularly attached to moral issues and the situation of women in the contemporary world [particulièrement attachée aux problèmes moraux et à la situation de la femme dans le monde contemporain]."

Selected works

Translated into English (457 pages) French original: (493 pages) German translation: (491 pages)

(204 pages) French original: (284 pages)

(139 pages) French original: (144 pages)

French, untranslated into English (218 pages) (673 pages) (200 pages) (477 pages) Spanish translation: (411 pages). Includes excerpts from García Lorca's works. (429 pages)

Children's books (126 pages) English edition (US): (93 pages). Translation of La bonne nouvelle annoncee aux enfants English edition (UK): (125 pages)

References

External links Photograph and Videos of Marcelle Auclaire (at :fr:Babelio)