Anatole France (Francois-Anatole Thibault, 1844-1924) was a French poet, journalist, and novelist, a member of the Academie Francais, and winner of the Nobel Prize for literature. Known for his irony, France claimed to be "writing the history of the Penguins. I labor sedulously at this task without allowing myself to be repelled by its frequent difficulties although at times these seem insuperable."