Françoise Mallet-Joris

Biography

Françoise Mallet-Joris (6 July 1930 – 13 August 2016), pen name of Françoise Lilar, was a Belgian author who was a member of the Prix Femina committee from 1969 to 1971 and appointed to the Académie Goncourt from November 1971 to 2011.

Françoise-Eugenie-Julienne Lilar was born on 6 July 1930 in Antwerp. She was the first child of writer Suzanne Lilar (first woman admitted to the Antwerp Bar) and Albert Lilar, Belgian Minister of Justice and Minister of State. Françoise was also the older sister of Marie Fredericq-Lilar, an 18th century art historian. The household was French-speaking, but Françoise picked up Flemish from a maid.

As a teenager, Lilar was quite rebellious, and desperately so...