Main research areas
Twentieth and twenty-first century literature, especially in Francophone areas; Feminine writing; Gender studies; Feminine authorship; Stylistic studies of French languages; Comparative literature; Relationship between Literature and Arts; Construction of identities in literature and in stylistics; Literary theory.
Since her Dissertation, Hélène Barthelmebs has been particularly interested in the link between French-speaking studies and gender studies, which appears to be one of the major challenges currently facing research in the Humanities. Her published and current work focuses on gendered constructions and women’s writing in French-speaking literatures of the 20th and 21st centuries. She recently wrote the monograph Regards sur la littérature francophone de 1950 à nos jours. During the last years, she co-edited several books, e.g. with Laetitia Saintes, Penser la place des femmes dans l’histoire littéraire francophone. Enjeux et perspectives [forthcoming, 2025]. She has also been responsible for the organization of many events, for which she took charge not only of the scientific aspects, but also of the fundraising and logistics.
Currently, Hélène Barthelmebs is working on a book on the trajectories and legitimisation strategies of twentieth-century Francophone women authors.