Madame de Sevigné (1626-1696) became famous during her lifetime as a letter writer. These letters to her many friends were read in the salons and contributed to the lively salon culture. Above all, they were letters to her daughter, who moved with her husband to Provence in 1671. Madame wrote two long letters to her daughter every week: rich, emotional letters, invaluable in contributing to the picture of the external and internal life of the French aristocracy.

Madame's letters began to be published after her death. By the 19th century, 14 small volumes had been published, and her reputation was confirmed by Marcel Proust, who likes to quote and allude to her in his great work In Search of Lost Time. In the 20th century, her reputation as a living classic has been consolidated by monumental French editions in addition to translations into a wide range of languages. A selection was published in Swedish in 1948 in a translation by Stig Ahlgren, an edition that is long out of print and also outdated.

The present project aims at a translated selection of about 250 pages, corresponding to about one tenth of her collected letters. One often sees references to Madame de Sevigné also in Swedish literary discourse. This volume will provide a basis for both references and discussions.