décriture

Décriture is a term used in Francophone literary theory and criticism to describe a mode of writing that questions, undermines, or dissolves conventional writing norms. It treats text as a material act rather than a seamless representation, emphasizing process, instability of meaning, and the reader’s active role in interpretation. In this sense, décriture can denote both a critical approach and a set of practical strategies within literature and related arts.

The term arises from post-structuralist and experimental trajectories in the French-speaking world from the late 20th century onward. It aligns with concerns about language as a system of signs, the decentered status of the author, and the fragmentation of narrative. Décriture is not a single style but a spectrum of practices that foreground how form and discourse participate in meaning, often challenging traditional authority, coherence, and voice in writing.

Techniques commonly associated with décriture include erasure or excision of words, fragmentation of sentences, collage or juxtaposition of disparate sources, and heightened attention to typography, whitespace, and layout. It may involve procedural or constraint-based methods that make the act of writing visible, drawing attention to language as process rather than as transparent representation.

Because it covers diverse practices, décriture is best understood as a descriptive label rather than a fixed school. It intersects with related concepts such as écriture féminine, experimental poetry, and other approaches that foreground the materiality and performativity of text. In criticism, it serves as a lens for analyzing works that destabilize authorial authority and the conventional logic of meaning.