Marianne-Agnès Falques (1720–1785)

Marianne-Agnès Falques, also known as Marianne-Agnès Pillement, also called La Vaucluse (see the many other variants of her name above), was born in Avignon in southern France. In her youth, her family sent her to a convent to become a nun despite her opposition. After 10 years, she succeeded in getting her religious vows annulled. She then moved to Paris, where she supported herself by her writing. She established her career with three exotic novels, Le Triomphe de l’amitie (The Triumph of Friendship, 1751), Abbassai: histoire orientale (Abbassai: An Eastern Story, 1753) -- which was popular enough so that afterwards she was credited on some books as "by the author of Abassaï" -- and Contes du serail (Tales from the Harem, 1753). Her other works included La dernière guerre des bêtes (The Last War of the Beasts, 1758). She also wrote a biography, Frédéric le Grand au temple de l'Immortalité (Frederick the Great at the Temple of Immortality, 1758). She became the subject of scandalous stories in Paris and moved to London in 1765-1766. From there, she published in English, and then translated into French, a controversial portrait of Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis XV, L'Histoire de Madame la Marquise de Pompadour (1759). The king attempted to buy up the entire printing of this work and destroy it, but was unable to do so. The date and place of her death is unclear; some sources say she returned to France and died in 1777; others say she died about 1785 in London.