Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born 29th September 1547 in Spain. Although his father was a doctor, Miguel’s family resided in poverty. They also often moved around Spain, and as a result of this – little is known about Miguel’s early life. After some studies in Madrid, Miguel became a soldier at the age of twenty-one. In 1571 he took part in the battle of Lepanto, and lost the use of his left arm during the fighting. While returning from military service, Miguel was kidnapped by Barbary pirates and enslaved in Algiers for five years. After several escape attempts, he was eventually ransomed and returned to Spain in 1580. Five years later Miguel entered the civil service working as a tax collector, and government purchasing agent. Irregularities with his accounts led to his being imprisoned on two occasions. By 1585, Miguel had developed an interest in a literary career and he published his first novel La Galatea that same year. He also wrote numerous plays in the following years. However, literary success eluded the author until the publication of Don Quixote in 1605. The success of the novel was such that an unauthorised sequel appeared forcing Cervantes to write his own second part, published one year prior to his death in 1615.