Danièle Bourdais

Author facts:
1. I was born on the beautiful south coast of Brittany, France. I love going back there, in the “Armor” (literally “by the sea” in Breton) for the sounds of the sea and the smell of seaweed – and the Argoët (meaning “inland”, “the forest”), a land of mysterious stones and mossy woods, myths and Arthurian legends. And of course, I love eating les galettes, the Breton pancakes with une bolée, a cup of cider!
2. I have loved languages from a very young age and had conversations with a 90 year-old granny in (some sort) of English at the age of 2 (my mother taught English in a secondary school and we often went to England on holiday). I learnt German and Russian at school, and started learning Hindi and Urdu when I met my Indian husband. Our two children grew up in a soup of cultures and a cocktail of languages!
3. I read English at Paris University after which I came to London as a language assistant for what was meant be a year. That was over 42 years ago and the rest is history! I completed my Licence-ès-Lettres and an MA in Literary Translation in the UK. I have since made London my home and love its dynamism, multicultural landscape and vibrant cultural life.
4. During the Covid lockdowns, I did not bake or make sourdough bread! Instead, I wrote a series of online lessons for French for Secondary Schools, commissioned by the BBC. I also got snowned-under with demand for online teaching. Being able to support learners at that very difficult time tasted sweeter than cakes to me!
5. I was recently interviewed on Teacher Talk Radio about what I am perhaps better known for: my passion for providing learners with a culturally rich, diverse and inclusive experience of French and the French-speaking world, and my interest in decolonising the teaching of French. After all, our children deserve nothing less than a wonderful eye-opening, insightful journey around the Francosphère !

More about Danièle
Danièle Bourdais has extensive experience of writing, consulting and editing French materials for learners of all ages and abilities. In 1987, she started writing magazines for Mary Glasgow Publications, which kickstarted a career in educational publishing for the UK and International markets.

She has written a variety of materials, picture books, plays, readers, apps and digital resources (BBC Bitesize), non-fiction trade books and award-winning course books for UK and International examinations published by, among others, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Pearson, Scholastic, the BBC, Hachette, Elemi International Schools Publisher and Brilliant Publications. She also tutors online, specialising in preparing students for UK and International public examinations as well as scholarships to top independent schools.