Rose Angéline Alexandrine Celli (; 1895–1982) was a French novelist, playwright, translator and poet. She wrote children's books, poetry and novels for adults, and is best known for her children's books published as part of the series.

Early life and education

Celli was born in

Philippeville Philippeville (; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. The Philippeville municipality includes the former municipalities of Fagnolle, Franchimont, Jamagne, Jamiolle, Merlemont, Neuville, Om ...

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

, in March 1895. Her father was of Alsatian heritage and her mother was Corsican. She spent four years at secondary school in Philippeville, after which she moved to France and attended a preparatory course at a high school in

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

. She subsequently entered the

École normale supérieure de jeunes filles The ''École normale supérieure de jeunes filles'' (also, ''École normale supérieure de Sèvres'') was a French institute of higher education, in Sèvres, now a commune in the suburbs of Paris. The school educated girls only, especially as te ...

, intending to become a teacher. She was a classmate of Suzanne Febvre, the wife of

Lucien Febvre Lucien Paul Victor Febvre ( ; ; 22 July 1878 – 11 September 1956) was a French historian best known for the role he played in establishing the Annales School of history. He was the initial editor of the ''Encyclopédie française'' together wit ...

. Celli did not graduate, however, due to a disagreement with the school's administration. She was later paid to undertake copy-editing of Lucien Febvre's '' Encyclopédie française''. Around the time of leaving the École she married the painter Elmiro Celli (1870–1958).

Literary career

In 1929, Celli received the Prix de la Liberté literary award for her fantasy story ''Le Bateau de Pierre''. She had entered this competition on the encouragement of a fellow student at the École. Her first novel, ''Comme l'eau'', was published by Editions du Tambourin in 1930, and it was followed by the collection of short stories published by

Flammarion Flammarion may refer to: * Camille Flammarion (1842–1925), French astronomer and author * Gabrielle Renaudot Flammarion (1877–1962), French astronomer, second wife of Camille Flammarion * Sylvie Flammarion (1836-1919), French feminist and paci ...

in 1931, ''Le chale indien''. A copy of the latter is held in the Princeton University Rare Books Collection, and is hand-dedicated to

Sylvia Beach Sylvia Beach (14 March 1887 – 5 October 1962), born Nancy Woodbridge Beach, was an American-born bookseller and publisher who lived most of her life in Paris, where she was one of the leading expatriate figures between World War I and World W ...

. She also wrote poetry; some of her poems were published in the magazine ''

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

''. In 1932, she was one of the first authors to contribute to the children's book series, published by Flammarion. Her works for this series included animal stories, a version of ''Goldilocks and the Three Bears'', and a story about

Baba Yaga Baba Yaga is a female character (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) from Slavic folklore who has two contrasting roles. In some narratives, she is described as a repulsive or ferocious-looking old woman who fries and eats children, ...

, illustrated by Nathalie Parain. ''Baba Yaga'' was translated into English and published in the United States in 1935. Also in 1932, Celli's first play, ''L'enfant Voilé'' premiered at the Albert Theatre in Paris, in three acts. It was performed by the theatre group L'Exposition d'Art Dramatique A review in ''La Liberté'' newspaper described it as similar in style to the work of

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

. In 1933, Celli received the Prix Minerva award for her novel ''Isola'', a historical work set in the Corsican mountains. The award came with a prize of 5,000 francs. Her 1935 book ''L'envers du tapis'' featured stories of her childhood growing up in Algeria. In later years, Celli translated a number of English works into French under the name R Brua, including a translation of '' Not So Quiet'' by

Evadne Price Evadne Price (28 August 1888 – 17 April 1985), probably born Eva Grace Price, was an Australian-British writer, actress, astrologer and media personality. She also wrote under the pseudonym Helen Zenna Smith. She is now best remembered f ...

(written as Helen Zenna Smith) and ''The Fun of It'' by

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

Death

Celli died in 1982 in Saint Paul de Vence.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Celli, Rose 1895 births 1982 deaths People from Philippeville French people of Corsican descent 20th-century French women writers 20th-century French novelists French women novelists 20th-century French poets French women poets 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights French women dramatists and playwrights French children's writers French women children's writers 20th-century French translators English–French translators