Hélène Cixous

Born in Oran, Algeria, in 1937, Hélène Cixous is a major figure in French literature, feminist theory and thought. In 1969, her debut novel Dedans won the prestigious Prix Médicis. However, she is best known for her seminal 1975 essay Le Rire de la Méduse (Medusa's Laugh), which is one of the most frequently read, quoted and translated works of second-wave French feminism. Her concept of écriture féminine ('feminine writing') encourages women to explore the possibilities and freedoms of their sexual identity. She has been a professor of literature and literary theory since the 1960s and, in 1974, she co-founded Europe's first doctoral program in Women’s Studies.