: Emmanuelle Arsan, born Marayat Bibidh on January 19, 1932, in Bangkok, Thailand, was a Thai-French author, best known for her famous erotic novel Emmanuelle. The novel was first published clandestinely in France in 1959 and became widely popular, especially after its film adaptation in 1974, which made the name "Emmanuelle" synonymous with erotic cinema. There is some speculation that her husband, French diplomat Louis-Jacques Rollet-Andriane, may have significantly contributed to the writing under her pseudonym. In addition to her work as a writer, Marayat appeared in a few films, including The Sand Pebbles (1966) and Laure (1976). Later in life, she retired with her husband to ...