Gothic Tales

About Marquis de Sade

Donatien Alphonse François Marquis de Sade (1740-1814) was a French writer and libertine known for his transgressive yet philosophical works in an astonishing range of genres. Born to great privilege in pre-revolutionary France he spent much of his life imprisoned for both his scandalous behaviour and his shocking literary output. The acts of depravity he described in works which challenged social convention such as Justine Juliette and The 120 Days of Sodom gave birth to the word 'sadism' earning him a place among the select group of authors to inspire an adjective. Margaret Crosland (1920-2017) translated works by the Marquis de Sade Émile Zola Colette and Cesare Pavese among others as well as writing many biographies and works of literary criticism.