A writer of belles-lettres; someone who writes elegant, sophisticated literature focused on beauty and style rather than practical information.
From the French 'belles-lettres' (literally 'beautiful letters'), which refers to literature appreciated for its aesthetic and intellectual value. The English suffix '-er' creates an agent noun meaning 'one who does this.'
Belletters were the literary snobs of the 18th and 19th centuries—they valued the *way* something was written over *what* it said, which is why they looked down on practical writing, making them both admired and mocked.
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