Born: 1882 (Paris, France)
Died: 1979 (Pettenbach, Austria)
Jeanne Leuba (8 November 1882, Paris – 24 July 1979, Pettenbach) was a French journalist, writer, and poet. She is considered one of the most impressive women colonial novelists due to her extensive experience in Indochina and Cambodia.
Born into a Parisian Protestant family on November 8, 1882, Leuba was raised in a creative environment. Her father, A. J. Leuba, was a well-known anatomical drawing artist. Despite her artistic upbringing, Leuba was trained to become a concert pianist during her childhood.
In 1905, Leuba married Henri Parmentier, the director of the École Française d’Extrême Orient (EFEO) archaeological service, and accompanied him to Indochina. Throughout their time there, Leuba joined Parmentier on his archaeological exploration treks, venturing into the local bush. From her diaries, we learn about the challenging conditions they faced during their travels. Many remote locations that Parmentier wanted to study could only be reached by sampans, canoes, ox-driven carts, or on foot.
Her experiences and observations led her to publish several articles on the Angkor monuments and two books on the ethnic group of Chams in Southeast Asia: Les Chams d’autrefois et d’aujourd’hui (1915) and Un royaume disparu: les Chams et leur art (1923).
In the 1920s and 1930s, Leuba actively wrote novels with Indochinese themes. One of her notable works is L’Aile du feu, published in 1920. However, her most memorable writings include her collection of poetry, La tristesse du soleil, which was discussed by Patrick Laude, and Le métis envoûté (1941), mentioned in general survey works on Francophone Indochinese literature.
After Parmentier’s death in 1949, Leuba made the decision to remain in the colony. However, in 1945, she was detained in a Japanese concentration camp. Upon her release, she worked for local French-language newspapers and the radio station in Phnom Penh.
In 1954, with the Cambodian Civil War looming, Leuba decided to leave Cambodia and settled in Austria. She remained in Austria until her death on July 24, 1979. In her later years, she prepared her husband’s posthumous work, Parmentier L’Art de Laos, for publication.
Despite the challenges she faced, Jeanne Leuba made significant contributions to the fields of journalism, literature, and archaeology. Her extensive writings captured the essence of Indochina and Cambodia, shedding light on their cultures, histories, and arts. Leuba’s dedication and ability to thrive in a male-dominated field make her an influential figure in women’s history.