Poetic inspiration
The department of Yvelines owes its name to the brilliant idea of Versailles poet Jehan Despert, who suggested using the name of the forest Yveline, but in the plural! A symbol of the diversity of this territory, it seems to have been one of his sources of inspiration, since he published two collections referring to it: Quintefeuille en Yvelines (1974) and Yvelines à cœur battant (1987). The area also inspired Paul Fort, a poet and playwright who lived in Grosrouvre, Gambaiseul and the hamlet of Pissefontaine in Triel-sur-Seine, and produced a number of poems in ode to the Rambouillet region and the merging of the Seine and Oise rivers into Yvelines. Many artists also took up residence in the area: Jean Cocteau in Maisons-Laffitte, Colette in Montfort-l'Amaury, Anaïs Nin in Louveciennes...
The pleasure of reading
A number of literary events are organized in the Yvelines department to promote reading and a passion for books among the general public. Take the "Histoire de Lire" festival in Versailles, for example, which shows that history can be passed on in all its forms - and with free admission! Several towns in the Yvelines region also organize regular literary festivals: Poissy, Rambouillet, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines... There are also a number of independent publishing houses in the area. Last but not least, the département also gives pride of place to comics with the Buc Comics Festival, held since 1993. It's a not-to-be-missed event for lovers of the 9th art form, held every autumn. It's a great way to make this literary discipline accessible to as many people as possible, with book signings, meetings, exhibitions and other events!
Local writers
Over the years, many writers have chosen the Yvelines, no doubt for its peaceful countryside, far from the hustle and bustle of Paris and ideal for intellectual introspection. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the famous writers who have left their mark on the region.
Jean Racine (1639-1699). Playwright(Andromaque, Phèdre) and poet(Cantiques spirituels), member of the Académie française, famous Jansenist "solitaire" from Port-Royal where he trained. At the age of 21, he was commissioned to oversee the renovation of the Château de la Madeleine in the Vallée de Chevreuse.
Victor Hugo (1802-1885). Poet(Les Contemplations), critic (founder of L'Evénement) and novelist(Notre-Dame de Paris, Les Misérables) at the forefront of the Romantic movement. His home town was Montfort-l'Amaury.
Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870). Playwright and novelist who penned dozens of legendary stories(Les Trois mousquetaires, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo). He had the Château de Monte-Cristo built in Port-Marly as a reference to his novel.
Emile Zola (1840-1902). Journalist and naturalist novelist, notably responsible for the unforgettable "J'accuse" (article published in L'Aurore) and the gigantic social fresco Les Rougon-Macquart. His house in Médan, bought in 1878, is now a museum.
Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893). Realist writer - especially short story writer - whose works include Boule-de-Suif, Le Horla and Bel-Ami. A keen canoeist, he was particularly fond of Chatou and Poissy.
Maurice Leblanc (1864-1941). Author of the 20-volume Aventures d'Arsène Lupin, French literature's most popular gentleman burglar. One of the nicknames of this colorful character is "Raoul d'Andrésy"!
Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918). A poet recognized at the turn of the century as the most eminent representative of "L'esprit nouveau" with his two famous collections Alcools and Calligrammes, he was also a novelist(Les Onze Mille Verges), art critic and playwright. He lived for several years in Le Vésinet, before being sent to the front during the First World War.
Blaise Cendrars (1887-1961). A poet(La Prose du transsibérien) and novelist(L'Or), he exalted modern life and travel in the early 20th century. He is buried in Tremblay-sur-Mauldre, where he owned a house.
Elsa Triolet (1896-1970) and Louis Aragon (1897-1982). She a Russian-born novelist(Bonsoir Thérèse, Le premier accroc coûte deux cents francs), he a Dadaist and Surrealist poet, novelist and journalist(Les Yeux d'Elsa, Le Roman inachevé), they formed one of the mythical couples of 20th-century French literature. They lived together at the Moulin de Villeneuve, in Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines.
Michel Tournier (1924-2016). Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française with Vendredi ou Les Limbes du Pacifique (1967) and Prix Goncourt with Le Roi des Aulnes (1972). He lived in the village of Choisel from 1957 until his death.
