This volume is the first historical introduction to women's writing in France from the sixth century to the present day. Specially commissioned essays by leading scholars provide the first introduction in English to the wealth and diversity of French women writers, offering new readings and new perspectives. Each chapter focuses on a given period and range of writers, taking account of prevailing sexual ideologies and the social, political, economic and cultural surroundings. Extensive reference features include a bibliography and guide to more than one hundred and fifty writers and their works.