Persepolis Author and ‘Leading Figure in French Culture’ Marjane Satrapi Dies at 56

Satrapi’s family told the Agence France-Presse news agency that the French Iranian graphic novelist “died of sadness”

Marjane Satrapi, the author best known for the acclaimed graphic novel Persepolis, has died. She was 56.

In a statement from her family shared with the Agence France-Presse news agency, the graphic novelist died “from sadness.”

“Marjane Satrapi died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life,” the announcement read.

Born on November 22, 1969, in Iran, Satrapi grew up in Tehran during the 1979 Iranian revolution and subsequent Islamic fundamentalist government, during which many of her loved ones were persecuted and killed. She was later sent to live in Austria for her safety and settled in Paris after college.

Her experiences later inspired her 2003 autobiographical graphic novel, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and its 2004 sequel Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, as well as two additional works in the series. Persepolis has sold millions of copies worldwide and in 2024 was named one of the best books of the 21st century by The New York Times.

In 2007, the film adaptation of the series — written and directed by Satrapi and her creative partner Vincent Paronnaud — premiered at Cannes and was later nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards, making Satrapi the first woman to be nominated in that category.

The movie was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes, as well as both Best Film Not in the English Language and Best Animated Film at that year’s BAFTAs.

After her success with Persepolis, the French Iranian artist authored Chicken with Plums, which was also adapted with Paronnaud, as well as graphic novels Monsters Are Afraid of the Moon, The Sigh, and several works in French.

The activist is also known for having directed 2014’s live-action black comedy horror, The Voices — starring Ryan Reynolds and Anna Kendrick — and Radioactive, a 2020 biographical film about Marie Curie starring Rosamund Pike.

Her last works were a 2024 French comedy film titled Dear Paris, which she co-wrote and directed, and Woman, Life, Freedom, a collaborative short story collection about the 2022 death of Iranian student Mahsa Amini and the nationwide protests that followed.

In a statement shared on June 4, the French government said that the death of Satrapi, who became a French citizen in 2006, “marks the loss of a leading figure in French culture and an artist deeply committed to freedom,” per NBC.

The statement called her “a great artist who transformed an Iranian childhood into a universal fable.”

Last January, she was nominated for France’s highest official honor, the Légion d’Honneur, but declined, citing the country’s attitude towards Iran and Iranian immigrants.

She later clarified her statements, saying, “This is in no way an action or a thought against France. On the contrary, I deeply love this country, which is my country,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Satrapi eventually married Mattias Ripa, a Swedish actor and producer, whom she called the love of her life. Ripa died in April 2025 and Satrapi established a foundation in his honor.

Via: People