Julien Serge Doubrovsky (22 May 1928, Paris – 23 March 2017, Boulogne-Billancourt) was a French writer and 1989 Prix Médicis winner for Le Livre brisé. He is also a critical theorist, and coined the term "autofiction" in the drafts for his novel Fils (1977).

Early life

Julien Doubrovsky was born on 22 May 1928 in Paris. His father was a tailor and his mother was a secretary. His family was Jewish; in 1943, in the midst of World War II, they fled Le Vésinet and hid with a cousin. Doubrovsky graduated from the École normale supérieure, and he earned the agrégation in English in 1949. He subsequently earned a PhD in French Literature.

Career

Doubrovsky became a professor of French Literature at New York University in 1966. He subsequently taught at Harvard University, Smith College, and Brandeis University. He retired in 2010. Along with publishing seven volumes of autobiography, he was known as a critical theorist. He coined the term 'autofiction', which has now entered the French dictionary.

Death

Doubrovsky resided in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. He died on 23 March 2017 in Boulogne-Billancourt.