The often sensual and dark humour of Sally Mara's Journal intime is founded on language and
languages, so this translation, while prioritizing clarity, aims to maintain 'Frenchness', tinged of course
with Dublinese. Surprisingly, for a French author, Irish words and phrases occur throughout; these are
not translated but, like some challenging French phrases, are supported by footnotes.
In 1949, when Raymond Queneau wrote Journal intime, published anonymously under the
pseudonym Sally Mara, he was, as always, greatly influenced by James Joyce and fascinated by the
limitations of language. He was also in need of the ready money provided by Éditions du Scorpion,
publishers of erotic and violent pulp fiction, and of Journal intime.