Roman a clef (Novel with a Key)

Roman a clef is a French phrase meaning novel with a key. In a Roman a clef real people or events are described in fictional guise.  The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the key is the relationship between the non-fiction and the fiction. The term is believed to be created by the French writer Madeleine de Scudery. The reason for writing such a novel can be many such as

1. Satire
2. Writing about controversial topics
3. Information on scandals
4. Autobiographical elements without revealing the author

Examples

Point Counter Point (Aldous Huxley):  novel on D.H. Lawrence and Middleton Murray

The Sun also Rises (Hemingway): disguised life of the author in Paris

Nothing Like the Sun: A Story of Shakespeare’s Love Life (Anthony Burges) fictional biography of Shakespeare