Founded in 1960 by Raymond Queneau and François Le Lionnais, OULIPO (Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle) is a French literary movement centered around creating works using constrained writing techniques.
The group believes that by imposing specific formal constraints on writing, authors can discover new ideas and pathways that would otherwise remain hidden. In the paradoxical philosophy of Oulipo, constraints liberate creativity rather than restrict it.
Notable OULIPO members include:
A 300-page novel written entirely without using the letter 'E' (the most common letter in French and English). This constraint is called a lipogram.
Tells the same mundane story 99 different ways, each employing a different style, constraint, or literary technique.
Replace each noun in a text with the noun found seven entries later in a dictionary, creating surprising and often humorous transformations.
Experience Oulipo techniques yourself with these interactive tools:
Write a greeting without using the letter 'E'. The 'E' key has been disabled:
Paste a text below to transform it using the N+7 technique (replacing each noun with the noun found 7 entries later in our dictionary):
Enter a text below to check which letters it avoids entirely:
Inspired by Queneau's "Exercises in Style," try rewriting this simple event in different styles:
Your saved styles will appear here
Test your knowledge of OULIPO and constrained writing: