Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy (b. Normandy, France, 1650 – d. Paris, France, 1705), also known as Countess d’Aulnoy, was a French writer known for her literary fairy tales. When she termed her works contes de fées (fairy tales), she originated the term that is now generally used for the genre. Unlike the folk tales of the Grimm Brothers, who were born some 135 years later than d’Aulnoy, she told her stories in a more conversational style, as they might be told in salons. Much of her writing created a world of animal brides and grooms, where love and happiness came to heroines after surmounting great obstacles. D’Aulnoy published twelve books including three pseudo-memoirs, two fairy tale collections and three « historical » novels. She had to flee in 1666 to England, and was probably a spy in Holland, Spain, and England. She came back to Paris to host salons in her house. She contributed to the anthology Recueil des plus belles pièces des poètes français in 1692 and wrote a series of travel memoirs based on her supposed travels through court life in Madrid and London.
Address: Jardin des Personnalités, Honfleur, France