“I am not always just living, just following all my fantasies; I come up for air, for understanding.”

French-born American diarist and writer

Anaïs Nin was a French-born American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. Born to Cuban parents in France, she later became an established author in the United States. She spent her early years in Spain and Cuba, then lived in Paris for about sixteen years before settling in the United States for the second half of her life. Her work is centered on diaries, fiction, and erotic writing, and she is known for moving between personal reflection and literary experimentation.