René François Nicolas Marie Bazin (26 December 1853 – 20 July 1932)[1] was a French novelist.[2]

Born at Angers, he studied law in Paris, and on his return to Angers became Professor of Law in the Catholic university.[3] In 1876, Bazin married Aline Bricard. The couple had two sons and six daughters. He contributed to Parisian journals a series of sketches of provincial life and descriptions of travel, and wrote Stephanette (1884), but he made his reputation with Une Tache d'Encre (A Spot of Ink) (1888), which received a prize from the Academy.[4] He was admitted to the Académie française on 28 April 1904,[3] to replace Ernest Legouvé.