Birth of literary businesswoman Colette and her publishers (1900-1939)

The study of editorial markets allows a better understanding of how a work is formed, going beyond the consideration of literature as an autonomous creation, free from the economic contingencies of production and distribution. The exploration of the archives of Colette's publishers allows us not only to grasp the commercial stakes involved in the creation of a work, but also the direct involvement of the writer herself in the editorial processes: the birth of a literary businesswoman.