Photo: Georges Biard / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Virginie Despentes is credited as a translator, film director and novelist. Virginie Despentes was born in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Duchy of Lorraine on June 13, 1969. That works out to 57 years old in 2026. Listed accolades include Prix de Flore (1998), Prix Renaudot (2010), Lambda Literary Award (2010) and 4 more.
My Take
Virginie Despentes earns my admiration for confronting head-on the subjects most writers flinch from: gender, sexuality, poverty and the lives pushed to society's margins. The Prix Renaudot, the Lambda Literary Award and the Prix de Flore confirm her skill, but what I value far more is her refusal to retreat into comfortable evasions. Writers who shine a light into the corners the world prefers to ignore are rare and necessary. There is a fearless, almost dangerous honesty in turning rage and pain straight into prose. I am drawn to that uncompromising voice and the risks she takes on the page.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Virginie Despentes
- Name (Japanese)
- ヴィルジニー・デパント
- Reading
- ゔぃるじにー・でぱんと
- Born
- June 13, 1969 (age 57)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rooster
- Origin
- Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Duchy of Lorraine
- Occupation
- translator / film director / novelist / screenwriter / writer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1998 Prix de Flore
- 2010 Prix Renaudot
- 2010 Lambda Literary Award
- 2010 prix Trop Virilo
- 2015 Le Vaudeville prize
- 2016 Prix Littéraire Livres & Musiques de Deauville
- 2019 The prize of the BNF
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-24
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Virginie Despentes born?
Born June 13, 1969 (age 57).
Where is Virginie Despentes from?
Virginie Despentes is from Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Duchy of Lorraine.
What does Virginie Despentes do?
Virginie Despentes works as translator, film director, novelist, screenwriter, writer.
Translator — see all → · Film director — see all → · More people from the Duchy of Lorraine →