Romanian born-writer Anna de Noailles

A feature on one of the best-known Romanian writers in Paris in the early 20th century.

România Internațional, 27.02.2016, 14:00

Ana Elisabeta Bibescu-Basarab of Brâncoveanu, later on known as a writer under the name of Anna de Noailles, was born in Paris, on December 15th, 1876. Her father, Grigore Brâncoveanu, was one of the sons of Walachias last ruling princes before the 1848 revolution, Gheorghe Bibescu. He was adopted by his godfather, the great governor Grigore Brancoveanu, the last male descendant of ruling prince Constantin Brancoveanus bloodline.

When she was 19, Anna married Mathieu, count of Noailles. Thanks to her writings, her literary salon, her charm but also thanks to her high-level connections, Anna de Noailles was to become a personality of aristocratic Paris of the “belle époque age. A Romanian version of Anna de Noailless volume A New Hope is due out from the Polirom Publishers in Bucharest. Speaking now is the translator of the volume Ana Antonescu. She will be providing an outline of Anna de Noailles biography.

She wrote her first poems at the tender age of 13. She lived in a cultural background, in an aristocratic family, in late 19th and early 20th century Paris, will all its flavor, in what is known as Belle-Epoque. In 1898, she made her debut with a series of poems brought together under the title ‘Lithanies and published by Revue de Paris. [Paris Review]. She got her first maiden volume published in 1901, with a collections of poems titles Le Coeur Innombrable. [The Countless Heart], at that time rated as a literary revelation. She even got a prize awarded by the French Academy. The same year she began her famous correspondence with Marcel Proust. Lots of other collections of poems would follow, as over and above anything else Anna de Noailles is a poet in her own right, and we can find evidence of that in her prose writings. She got 9 poetry volumes published and fewer prose volumes, three of which are novels, which make a sentimental trilogy of sorts: La Nouvelle Esperance [The New Hope], Le Visage Emerveille [The Enchanted Face] and La Domination [The Domination]. In the meantime she made a name for herself in the French literary milieus, being rewarded with all sorts of prizes and awards. For instance, in 1921 she became a member of the Belgian Royal Academy, while the French Academy, which at that time did not receive women among its members, granted her the Grand Prize for Literature. In 1925 she became an honorary member of the Romanian Academy, and in 1930 she was the first woman to have been awarded the Commander of the Legion of Honor title. She passed away with lots of praise heaped upon her, as she was highly influential as regards the Belle-Epoque being also a personality of French culture, and to a less extent one of Romanian culture, although Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga thought that in her work, the vibrations of Romanian soul could be felt, despite the fact that she wrote only in French.

Anna de Noailles died in 1933. Although she wasnt born in Romania and nobody knows for sure if she spoke Romanian, the writer visited her fathers native country and apart from the kinship relations she had with members of Romanian aristocracy, she also had connections among the intellectual environments in Romania. Actually, even among her relatives from Romania there were such writers as Martha Bibescu, the wife of Ana de Noailles first cousin once removed George Valentin Bibescu, one of Romanias first airplane pilots. With Martha Bibescu, and not only with her, Anna de Noailles shared Marcel Prousts friendship. With details on that, here is Ana Antonescu once again.

Anna de Noailles held a literary salon in Paris, which she hosted in her own house, where figureheads of that time would meet at her place, from Pierre Loti, Andre Gide to Jean Cocteau, who was influenced by her poetry. Paul Valery and Colette used to come there as well. The correspondence with Marcel Proust began in 1901 and lasted for about 18 years. Its interesting because, in a way, Proust encouraged her and highly praised Anna de Noailles for her writings, while he was extremely busy writing his famous work ‘In Search of Lost Time. The two appreciated one another, and after Prousts death, Anna De Noailles edited their correspondence.

The novel, “A New Hope, translated by Anca Antonescu for the Polirom Publishers and published for the first time in 1903, posed a real challenge for the translator. Here is Ana Antonescu once again.

Apart from being a romance novel, it is a poetic novel as well, this maiden volume authored by Anna de Noailles. All that verbal sensuality is what the reader may find most interesting in her work today. As a translator, I found it difficult to transpose myself in the characters state of mind, at once trying to re-create an age. We live in another time, in another reality, poetry is different for us today. “

Despite all that, the reading public will by all means enjoy reading the Romanian version of a novel written by Anna de Noailles.

(Translated by E. Nasta)