Marguerite Duras
French novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, 1914-1996
"Born near Saigon as Donnadieu, she went to France, her parents' native country, at the age of 17, where she began studying for a degree in mathematics. She soon abandoned this to concentrate on political science, then law. After completing her studies, she worked for the French government in the Ministry of the Colonies. In the 1930s she changed her name to Duras. Her best-selling, highly fictionalized autobiographical work was ""L'Amant"" (The Lover, 1984), which describes a youthful affair with a Chinese man. It won the Prix Goncourt in 1984. Her script for the film ""Hiroshima mon amour"" (1959) earned her a nomination for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards."
Source: