Discover the Art of Perfume with Legend Jean-Claude Ellena 

Following the release of his book, Atlas of Perfumed Botany, he will participate in a discussion tracing the cartography of particular fragrances, examine historical connections, and contemplate cultural exchange.  Scent connoisseurs won’t want to miss master perfumer Ellena for this intimate meeting as he looks back on his influential career and considers the innovative ways perfume can influence a better understanding of our natural environment, and positive outcomes for our ecological futures.

Jean-Claude Ellena’s career has left a lasting imprint on the fragrance world. Best known for serving as the in-house perfumer for Hermès from 2004 to 2016, Ellena crafted some of the brand’s most iconic scents, including Un Jardin sur le Nil. His career spans collaborations with prestigious brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Aqua di Parma, Bulgari, Sisley, Cartier, Frédéric Malle, The Different Company, and Le Couvent – Maison de Parfum.

Ellena’s journey into perfumery began in his childhood in Grasse, where he picked jasmine with his grandmother to sell to local perfumers. At 16, he apprenticed at Antoine Chiris, a prominent essential oils maker, before becoming the first student at the Givaudan Perfumery School in Geneva. In 1990, he co-founded the Osmothèque, a scent archive in Versailles dedicated to preserving significant perfumes. In 2019, Ellena became the Director of Olfactory Creation at Le Couvent, where he developed a collection of Signature Perfumes and co-signed additional creations with emerging perfumers until 2024.

As Hermès’ in-house perfumer from 2004 to 2016, Ellena created notable fragrances, including Un Jardin sur le Nil, the subject of Chandler Burr’s book The Perfect Scent. He has also penned his own autobiography, Perfume: The Alchemy of Scent, and The Diary of a Nose.

Jane Marchant is an interdisciplinary storyteller whose work spans writing, photography, plants, and collage. Her pieces have been featured in publications such as ZYZZYVA, Guernica, Apogee, Kweli, Catapult, and Evergreen Review. Currently, she is developing a memoir in the form of an Encyclopedia of Botany of the San Francisco Bay Area, exploring themes of motherhood, racial passing, and the interconnectedness of root systems. A 2024 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow, Jane has also received an Elizabeth George Foundation grant and is a Lucas Artists Fellow at the Montalvo Arts Center.

John McMurtie is the nonfiction editor at Kirkus Reviews and has previously served as the books editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, a senior editor at ZYZZYVA, and an editor at McSweeney’s Publishing. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Literary Hub, and he contributed the introduction to Literary Journeys: Mapping Fictional Travels across the World of Literature (Princeton University Press, 2024). A recipient of the Northern California Book Reviewers’ Recognition Award, John has also served on the jury panels for One City One Book: San Francisco Reads and the Commonwealth Club’s California Book Awards. He has taught in the MFA Writing program at the University of San Francisco and has recently completed two personal book projects: the Kenneth Baker Library, a book-donation project in memory of his friend, and an interactive manuscript pairing his French grandfather’s World War I memoirs with wartime photographs.

This event is held in partnership with Litquake and the Gardens of Golden Gate Park.