Maîtresse Françoise

Who is Maîtresse Françoise?

Maîtresse Françoise is a publicly known dominatrix in Paris, France. In 1994, she introduced sadomasochism to general literature with her autobiographical account titled "Francoise Maîtresse". Her book was published in France by publisher Éditions Gallimard. It is the autobiographical account of the life of a woman revealing what damage can bring one to choose sexual practices that which others see as perversions, which she calls “freedom”. Pierre Bourgeade wrote in the foreword of the book, “This is movement about freedom, an unconscious freedom of its own.” According to the paperback book editor Jean-Jacques Pauvert, the book is the “major work of erotic literature of the ten last years". This notoriety brought her to be regularly invited to participate in several French television talk shows and to do interviews in connection with BDSM. Since 2001, she has refused to appear in any television programs. In her writings, Maîtresse Francoise interprets masochism through a psychoanalytical and philosophical approach. Francoise Maîtresse reports her carnal experiments are concordant with the philosophical thought of Gilles Deleuze. She was also congratulated by Charles J. Stivale, an American university professor who is a specialist of philosopher Gilles Deleuze.