Marie-Claire Bancquart (born 21 July 1932) is a contemporary French poet, essayist, professor emerita and literary critic. She is the recipient of the Grand prix de la Critique littéraire of the Académie Française, the premier authority on matters related to French language and culture, as well as numerous other awards. Her poetry is known for its visceral nature, often exploring the interior of the human body as a means of exploring emotion and humanity.
Bancquart is president of the French arts council La Maison de la Poésie, and a professor emerita of the Université Paris-Sorbonne. Bancquart has been described as one of the most "powerful" voices in contemporary French poetry, drawing comparisons to French poet Charles Baudelaire. In addition to her many volumes of poetry, Bancquart has also published books and essays on subjects such as surrealism and Anatole France.
She is married to French composer Alain Bancquart.
PoetryMais, Vodaine, 1969Projets alternés, Rougerie, 1972Mains dissoutes, Rougerie, 1975Cherche-terre, Saint-Germain des prés, 1977Mémoire d'abolie, Belfond 1978Habiter le sel, Pierre Dalle Nogare, 1979Partition, Belfond, 1981Votre visage jusqu'à l'os, Temps Actuels, 1983Opportunité des oiseaux, Belfond, 1986Opéra des limites, José Corti, 1988Végétales, Les cahiers du Confluent, 1988Sans lieu sinon l'attente, Obsidiane, 1991Dans le feuilletage de la terre, Belfond, 1994Énigmatiques, Obsidiane, 1995La Vie, lieu-dit, Obsidiane en coédition avec Noroît (Canada), 1997La Paix saignée, précédée de Contrées du corps natal, Obsidiane, 1999Voilé/dévoilé, éditions Trait d'Union, Montréal, 2000Avec la mort, quartier d'orange entre les dents, Obsidiane, 2005Verticale du secret, Amourier, 2007Terre énergumène, Le Castor Astral, 2009Explorer l'incertain, Amourier, 2010Violente vie, Le Castor Astral, 2012NovelsL'Inquisiteur, Belfond, 1980Les Tarots d'Ulysse, Belfond, 1984Photos de famille, François Bourin, 1988Elise en automne, François Bourin, 1991La Saveur du sel, Bourin / Julliard, 1994Une femme sans modèles, éditions de Fallois, 1999EssaysParis des surréalistes, Seguers, 1973Maupassant conteur fantastique, Minard, 1976, rééd. 1993Anatole France, un sceptique passionné, Calmann-Lévy, 1984Images littéraires de Paris fin de siècle, la Différence, 1979Poésie française 1945-1970 (sous la dir.), PUF 1995Fin de siècle gourmande, 1880-1900, PUF, 2001Écrivains fin-de-siècle, Gallimard, 2010 
