Chez Dilli is a name inspired by two important things in my life: family and the French language. 'Chez' is a French word meaning 'at the home of'. I named this site Chez Dilli because I wish my reader to find their own voice in my work. I do not pretend to be so unique that I am unrelatable. The 'chez' also comes from the fact that I had just recently read Du coté de chez Swann, the first volume of Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu. I take many of my inspirations from French language and literature. France has one of the richest literary and cultural histories in the West.

'Dilli', however, is a little different in its origin. It is a shortening of my own surname, Dillistone. The nickname 'Dilli' is not one of my own making, rather it was given to my great-grandfather and has since been passed down through the generations. Frederick William Dillistone is a great pride in the Dillistone family. He upheld many things that my family still holds dear: academia, persistent self-interrogation, and ambition. Though I know I will never write nearly as many books as he did, I like to think he would be proud of my generation.