France, Anatole (1844–1924)

French writer. His works are marked by wit, urbanity, and style. His earliest novel was Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard/The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard (1881); later books include the satiric L'Ile des pingouins/Penguin Island (1908). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921.

His other books include the autobiographical series beginning with Le Livre de mon ami/My Friend's Book (1885), Thaïs (1890), Crainquebille (1905), and Les Dieux ont soif/The Gods Are Athirst (1912). He was a socialist and a supporter of the wrongfully accused officer Alfred Dreyfus.

France was born in Paris. He published a critical study of Alfred de Vigny in 1868, which was followed by several volumes of poetry and short stories. He was elected to the French Academy in 1896.