Madame Cottin

Sophie Cottin' (22 March 1770 – 25 August 1807) was a French writer and novelist whose works became popular during the 19th century and were translated into several languages. Born in Paris, she later became known for her sentimental novels, which often explored themes of love, passion, virtue, suffering, and religious feeling. Her writing has been associated with pre-Romanticism.

Cottin published several successful novels, including Claire d'Albe (1799), Malvina (1801), Amélie Mansfield (1803), Mathilde (1805), and Élisabeth ou les Exilés de Sibérie (1806). Her novels achieved considerable popularity beyond France, contributing to her reputation as an important French novelist of the period. Élisabeth ou les Exilés de Sibérie, in particular, became one of her best-known works.

Following the death of her husband, Cottin devoted herself increasingly to literature. She died on 25 August 1807 at the age of 37. A collection of her works was subsequently published in several volumes during the 19th century, helping to preserve and circulate her writings.