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Colette’s earliest books were published under the name of her husband, Willy, who controlled the rights and financial rewards.

After leaving him, she had to reinvent herself as a stage performer, journalist and independent writer. She eventually became one of France’s most celebrated authors and the first female president of the Académie Goncourt.

Her life was free, scandalous, complicated and sometimes deeply uncomfortable. Yet her refusal to remain the woman somebody else had decided she ought to be continues to fascinate me.

In this Thursday Women article, I explore the woman behind the famous name, the battle over ownership of her words and legacy, and the unexpected connection between Colette’s creative journey and my own path towards accepting myself as an artist.

Read: Colette, stepping outside a prescribed identity