Charles Perrault

fairy tales · French author · storytelling · classics

Invented fairy tales. Charles Perrault didn't just write down old stories, he actually created a whole new type of literature called the fairy tale. Before him, these magical stories existed as folk tales told by regular people, but Perrault shaped them into the literary form we know and love today.

Published in 1697. His famous book Histoires ou contes du temps passé (which means Tales of Past Times) came out in 1697 and contained the fairy tale versions of stories that are still loved by kids around the world more than 300 years later.

Created iconic characters. Perrault wrote the versions of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, and Little Red Riding Hood that we know today. These characters became so famous that most people think these are the original stories, but Perrault actually crafted them from older folk tales.

Member of the Académie Française. Perrault wasn't just a fairy tale author, he was also an important member of France's most prestigious literary group, the Académie Française, which meant he was respected as one of France's greatest writers and thinkers.

Transformed folk traditions. Perrault took rough, informal stories that had been passed down by word of mouth for generations and turned them into polished, artistic works that changed literature forever.