Born in Geneva, Grisélidis Réal (1929-2005) was a prolific novelist, painter and poet as well as a social activist renowned and respected as the voice of female prostitutes leading the struggle for social recognition and equal rights.
Former publications include Black is also a color [Le noir est une couleur 1974/1989], Little chronicles of a courtesan [Petite chronique des courtisanes, 1976], Imaginary intercourse [La Passe imaginaire, 1992/2006], Fire and brimstone [À feu et à sang, 2003], The courtesan’s dance card [Carnet de bal d'une courtisane, 2005], The Sphinxes [Les Sphinx, 2006], Am I still alive ? – Journal of a prison inmate [Suis-je encore vivante ? Journal de prison, 2008] and Memoirs of things unfinished (1954-1993)[Mémoires de l'inachevé, 2011], which regroups texts collected and presented by Yves Pagès.