Virginia Despentes (Nancy, 1969) is a French writer and filmmaker, former maid, sex worker and part-time music journalist. Her first novel, Kresni me, a controversial story of rape and revenge, was published in 1992, and screened in 2000. Kresni meje the first film that was banned for showing in France for the last twenty-eight years. Despentes is the author of ten novels, a series of short stories, essays, literary criticism, as well as several film scripts. She is the winner of many literary awards, and for the first part of the Vernon Trodon novel trilogy won four awards: the Anaïs-Nin Award, the Landerneau Award, the La Coupole Award and Roman-News Award. Today it is considered one of the most important feminist the author. She has been a member of the Goncourt Academy since 2016.