Miguel de Cervantes

Widely regarded as the most important figure in Spanish literature, Miguel de Cervantes is one of the world’s most cherished writers. 

This Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright is the genius behind Don Quixote. This story was published in two parts (the first in 1605, the second in 1615), and has been translated into more than 60 languages. It is widely known as one of the best novels of all time, and is considered to be a founding work of Western literature. 

Don Quixote has influenced many other works throughout the centuries, and is directly referenced in other major books such as The Three Musketeers and Cyrano de Bergerac. It even spawned the word ‘quixotic’, after the book’s protagonist with lofty ideals. 

He has been so influential that his native language Spanish is sometimes referred to as ‘The language of Cervantes’. 

Meet Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes’ exact birthday remains unclear, but it is assumed to be on September 29 1547. 

Little is known about his early years, other than being the fourth of seven children, all of which moved from town to town with their barber-surgeon father. 

As a young man, he left Spain to move to Italy, where he worked in a Cardinal’s house in Rome. Soon after he joined the army, which led to him being wounded in battle and losing the use of his left hand for the rest of his life. 

On one sailing, his ship was attacked by pirates, and he and his brother were sold into slavery. It took five years for his family and other parties to raise enough money to pay his ransom, and his time in captivity inspired some of the narrative in Don Quixote, as well as other works. 

Cervantes would spent the rest of his years back in Spain, often struggling to make ends meet. While he had been reading and writing for many years, it was during this time he started writing plays for work. He picked up other jobs, including one as a commissary of provisions, and another as a tax collector, but would gravitate back to writing over the years. 

When Don Quixote was published in 1605, it was an immediate success. He followed up with part II a decade later, and cemented himself as one of the greatest authors of all time.