Françoise Sagan Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Childhood and Early Life

French author Françoise Sagan was born Françoise Quoirez on the 21 June 1935 in Cajarc, France into a prosperous family. She was raised in Paris.

Education

After graduating from high school, Françoise Sagan enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris (1952) but did not obtain a degree.

Rise to Fame

Françoise Sagan had her first novel, Hello Sadness (1955) published when she was18 years of age. The book was a success and established her reputation as a writer.

Career

Other novels included A Certain Smile (1956), Wonderful Clouds (1961), The Heart-Keeper (1968), Sunlight on Cold Water (1971),  Lost Profile (1974), The Unmade Bed (1978), Salad Days (1980), The Painted Lady (1983), Engagements of the Heart (1987), Painting in Blood (1991), Evasion (1993) and A Fleeting Sorrow (1995).

Françoise Sagan also published three short story collections: Silken Eyes (1977), Incidental Music (1983) and The House of Raquel Vega (1985). She began writing plays n the 1960s and also wrote a number of autobiographical works. In 1975, she published a biography on the French actress Brigitte Bardot and in 1987, one of Sarah Bernhardt, which was translated into English as Dear Sarah Bernhardt (1988).

Health and Disabilities

Françoise Sagan suffered from problems with drug abuse including prescription drugs, cocaine, and amphetamines.

Personal Life

Françoise Sagan married Guy Schoeller in 1958, and they divorced in 1960. Her second husband was Bob Westhof (m.1962-div.1963), and they had one child, a son Denis. She died on the 24 September 2004 of a pulmonary embolism. The actress Sylvie Testud portrayed saga in a film about her life, Sagan (2008).