Jacques Laurent or Jacques Laurent-Cély (6 January 1919, Paris – 28 December 2000) was a French writer and journalist. He was born in Paris, the son of a barrister. During World War II he fought with the Algerian Tirrailleurs.Laurent was elected to the Académie française in 1986.Laurent belonged to the literary group of the Hussards, and is known as a prolific historical novelist, essay writer, and screenwriter under the nom de plume of Cecil Saint-Laurent.