Henry Gauthier-Villars

Henry Gauthier-Villars (August 8, 1859 - January 12, 1931) or Willy, his nom-de-plume, was a French fin-de-siecle writer and music critic who is today mostly known as the mentor and first husband of Colette.

Born on August 8, 1859 in Villiers-sur-Orge into a bourgeois Catholic family, he attended the Lycee Fontanes and later the Jesuit College Stanislas in Paris. He became fluent in Latin and German. In 1885, he obtained a law degree and subsequently started with a job in the family’s publishing firm of Gauthier-Villars.cite book| author=Judith Thurman |title=Secrets of the Flesh. A Life of Colette| publisher= Bloomsbury, London (1999), ISBN 0747548439]

Willy was a lady’s man; Rachilde described him "as a man of the world, a brilliant Parisian rake". In 1889 he met Colette, 14 years younger than him; they married on May 15, 1893. As a writer and music critic he was an incessant and effective self promoter, under whose directions his "slaves" wrote articles and novels. His ghostwriters may or may not have received recognition but participated because publication under the Willy name secured a high publication rate and good income. With his literary workshops Willy published more than 50 novels. His participation varied and included conceptionalizing, editing, and adding sections, plots, and puns.

Colette was initially handling his correspondence, but became soon involved in writing on her own starting with "Claudine", her first oeuvre under the Willy label. The success led to more novels in the Claudine series. It is generally acknowledged that these books were written by Colette, but he had his hand in it editing and honing the manuscripts. Willy also went into merchandizing dolls and other items based on the Claudine novels.

Colette soon learned that Willy had other affairs, and she met his mistress Charlotte Kinceler who later became her friend. Later Willy and Colette had an affair unbeknownst to each other with the same woman, the American socialite Georgie Raoul-Duval, nee Urquhart. Upon discovery, they made it a threesome and attended the Bayreuth festival together.

The marriage to Colette lasted until 1910, although in the years prior they were already separated. While Willy made a lot of money, he squandered it with ease on women and gambling and was facing bankruptcy. Willy went on to marry Marguerite Maniez, also known as Meg Villars after her marriage. He had no children from his two marriages; his son, Jacques, was the offspring from an affair before. Willy died on January 12, 1931 in Paris. Three thousand mourners followed his casket to the Montparnasse cemetery.

Trivia

Curnonsky was one of his ghostwriters, as was his fellow gastronomist Marcel Boulestin.

In 1905, Willy was painted by Giovanni Boldini.

Henry's favourite song which he could often be heard singing on his way to dinner was I am Henry the Eighth

Bibliography

"Willy, Colette et moi", Sylvain Bonmariage, introduction by Jean-Pierre Thiollet, Anagramme, Paris, 2004 (reprint)

References