A writer and women’s rights specialist, Claudine Monteil built a long friendship with Simone de Beauvoir, her sister the artist-painter Hélène de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre.

She holds a PhD on the works of Simone de Beauvoir, and has written several books -’Les Amants de La Liberté’, ‘Sartre et Beauvoir dans le siècle’ and ‘Les Soeurs Beauvoir’- which have been translated into several languages.

‘Les Soeurs Beauvoir’ has been published in the United States under the title ‘The Beauvoir Sisters”.

Nowadays, Dr. Monteil gives lectures on these topics in France and in the United States, as well as in other countries.

 Monteil just published a new book intitled “Simone de Beauvoir, modernité et engagement” (”Simone de Beauvoir, modern and committed ”) éditions L’Harmattan, Paris 2009, which is both an essay and a testimony on how Simone de Beauvoir’s committment in her writings and in her work for human rights should still be an inspiration for us in this XXIrst century. You can see resumes of the book on her blog periodically www.claudinemonteil.com/blog/  

In the picture, Claudine Monteil at her home in front of the painting representing Simone de Beauvoir with a yellow shirt and a carnet done by her sister, 1936, Copyright Claudine Monteil.