Marayat Rollet-Andriane (née Krasaesin () or Bibidh (; ); born 19 January 1932 – 12 June 2005), known by the pen name Emmanuelle Arsan, was a Thai-French novelist, best known for the novel featuring the fictional character Emmanuelle, a woman who sets out on a voyage of sexual self-discovery under varying circumstances. After her death, it was claimed that the real author of the book was her husband, diplomat Louis-Jacques Rollet-Andriane.
Early life
Arsan was born Marayat Bibidh on 19 January 1932 in Bangkok, Thailand, into an aristocratic Siamese family closely connected to the royal family. Marayat's family home was in the affluent Ekkamai District of the Thai capital, where she reportedly discovered her sexuality in the company of her little sister Vasana. Several more novels were published under the Emmanuelle Arsan pseudonym.
Between 1974 and 1976, Arsan and her husband, in association with Just Jaeckin, published the erotic magazine (Emmanuelle, the pleasure magazine) in France, contributing photographs and text. though Rollet-Andriane, reportedly frustrated by problems related to his collaboration with the producer, Ovidio G. Assonitis, asked that Emmanuelle Arsan's name not be associated with the project, resulting in the film being credited to an anonymous director.
Personal life
Marayat spoke fluent Thai, French, and English. Her hobbies and passions included writing, reading, photography, cinema, and antiques, among others. Louis-Jacques Rollet-Andriane and she had two daughters, Sophie and Danièle. She is known to have had relationships with the French beatnik writer, mime, and photographer Théo Lesouac'h,