Meny
Portrait image of Gaston Leroux

Sample of authors

Leroux, Gaston

Gaston Leroux was born in Paris but grew up in a little village in Normandy close to the home of his maternal grandparents. As a child he was interested in swimming, sailing and deep-sea fishing, but he also developed an interest in literature at an early age. He particularly appreciated Alexandre Dumas père and Victor Hugo, and he wrote imitations of their works during his school years. After ...

Further reading

Portrait of Ruth Rendell Photo: Jane Mingay / AP Photo/TT (2005)

Sample of authors

Rendell, Ruth

The British crime writer Ruth Rendell was born in London as Ruth Barbara Graseman. Her mother was of Scandinavian origin and her father a former shipyard worker in Plymouth who was able to train as a technology and mathematics teacher as an adult. Ruth Rendell attended the County High School for Girls in Loughton, Essex. She was a feature writer and deputy editor at a number of local newspapers...

Further reading