Henri Ardel

Henri Ardel (pseudonym of Berthe Abraham; 1863–1938) was a French writer. She was a recipient of the Prix Botta and of the Ordre des Palmes académiques.

Biography

Berthe Marie Victorine Palmyre Abraham was born in Amiens on 6 June 1863. Her parents, Lucie Mathilde Pillier and Alphonse Abraham. She lived in Enghien, then Paris. His sister, Marie-Louise, born 10 May 1877, married Georges Le Cordier; a writer herself, she took the pseudonym "Colette Henri-Ardel" after Berthe's death. Bertha was a teacher in a class for young girls. She made her literary debut by sending a short story to Léon de Tinseau who encouraged her. One of the many female writers who took a male pseudonym, she was author of "sentimental novels for ladies" published by Plon, in the Stella collection or in the Nelson collection. These novels were very successful: In 1933, Cœur de sceptique was in its 100th edition, Le mal d'aimer, in its 125th, Mon cousin Guy, in its 181st. There is hardly anyone but Pierre Benoit to match such figures.

During the last ten years of her life, Ardel was involved in a charity to help poor children and to catechize them.

She died on 6 January 1938, and is buried in the Montreuil cemetery in Versailles.

Awards and honours

She was a recipient of the Prix Botta for Cœur de sceptique in 1894, and of the Ordre des Palmes académiques in 1904.