Anniversaries, 6 April
Javier Cercas
The Spanish author and essayist Javier Cercas was born in Ibahernando (Cáceres), Extremadura, western Spain. His father was a country vet. When Cercas was four years old, the family moved to Girona in Catalonia where he attended a Catholic school. He spent all his summer holidays in Ibahernando and has continued to be closely attached to his place of birth.
Cercas immediate family were Falangists and loyal to General Franco who rose to power in 1939. Javier became interested in film and ...
Photo: Hulton Archives via Getty Images (c.1965)
Sample of authors
Charteris, Leslie
Leslie Charteris was born in colonial Singapore as Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin. His father, Suat Chuan Yin, was a wealthy physician and company manager who claimed he was related to an ancient Chinese imperial family. Charteris' mother, Lydia Florence Bowyer, was English. Young Leslie was educated at home and on the many journeys he made with his parents; he claimed to have toured the world three...