Cella Serghi

Cella Serghi (born Cella Marcoff; November 4, 1907 – 1992) was a Romanian prose writer.

She was born in Constanța to Avram Marcoff, a minor employee of private firms, and his wife Carolina (née Golestan). She attended primary school in her native city from 1915 to 1916, but continued in Bucharest after fleeing home at the onset of Romania's involvement in World War I. There, she went to gymnasium and high school from 1919 to 1927, and attended the law faculty of the University of Bucharest from 1927 to 1931. For a time, she worked as a lawyer. In 1945, she was secretary of a free people's university. She made her written debut in Gazeta newspaper with articles such as "Weekend în Bucegi, toamna" and "Match de football", while her first book, the 1938 novel Pânza de păianjen, was also her undisputed masterpiece. Her pen name, which was inspired by her grandfather Serghi Marcoff, who was of Bulgarian origin, became official in 1945.