Elsa Triolet

Elsa Triolet (September 12 (24) 1896 - June 16 1970) was a French writer, a wife of Louis Aragon and a sister of Lilya Brik.

Related Topics:
September 12 - 1896 - June 16 - 1970 - Louis Aragon - Lilya Brik

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Born Elsa Kagan (Russian: Эльза Каган) into a Jewish family of a lawyer and a music teacher in Moscow, both sisters received excellent education and were able to speak fluent German and French languages and play piano. Elsa graduated from Moscow Institute of Architecture.

Related Topics:
Russian - Jew - Moscow - German - French language

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Elsa enjoyed poetry and in 1915 befriended an aspiring futurist poet and graphic artist Vladimir Mayakovsky. When she invited him home, the poet fell madly in love with her older sister Lilya, who was married to Osip Brik.

Related Topics:
1915 - Futurist - Vladimir Mayakovsky - Osip Brik

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1918, at the outset of Russian Civil War, Elsa married French cavalry officer André Triolet and emigrated to France, but for years in her letters to Lilya Elsa admitted of being heartbroken. She was the first to translate Mayakovsky's poetry (as well as volumes of other Russin-language poetry) to French language. Later she divorced Triolet.

Related Topics:
1918 - Russian Civil War - France

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During her visit to Tahiti in the early 1920s, Elsa sent letters to her friend Victor Shklovsky who subsequently showed them to Maxim Gorky. Gorky suggested that the author should consider a literary career. The 1925 book In Tahiti, written in Russian, was based on these letters.

Related Topics:
Tahiti - Victor Shklovsky - Maxim Gorky

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1928 Elsa met French writer Louis Aragon. They married and stayed together for 42 years. She convinced Aragon to join French Communist Party.

Related Topics:
1928 - Louis Aragon - French Communist Party

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Triolet and Aragon participated in French anti-fascist resistance movement. In 1945, she was awarded Prix Goncourt, the first time a woman received this most prestigious prize in French literature.

Related Topics:
Anti-fascist - Resistance movement - 1945 - Prix Goncourt - French literature

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~