L'Héritier, Marie-Jeanne (1664–1734)

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L'Héritier, Marie-Jeanne (1664–1734)

French novelist and shortstory writer. Name variations: Mlle L'Heritier de Villandon or Villaudon; also seen as Lhéritier or Lheritier. Born 1664 in Paris, France; died 1734; niece of Charles Perrault (1628–1703, writer of fairy tales); dau. of a historian; sister was a poet; never married.

Championed cause of women in her writing; inherited the literary salon begun by Madeleine de Scudéry; lived life of virtue and high morals; published stories in Mercure galant; wrote several stories attributed to uncle, including L'Adroite Princesse, ou les Aventures de Finette; wrote 1st version of "Sleeping Beauty" called "La Belle au bois dormant"; other works include Marmoison ou L'Innocente tromperie (1695) and Histoire de la Marquise-Marquis de Banneville (1723).