Charles Deslys

Born on March 1, 1821, Charles Deslys was a French writer of the 19th century. He was educated at the Lycée Charlemagne in Paris, spent time traveling in Italy, and then worked as an actor in the south of France before turning more fully to writing.

His artistic path seems to have been broad rather than narrow: he was connected with theater and performance as well as literature. That mix of stage experience and literary work gives his career a distinctly lively, public character.

Deslys died on March 13, 1885. Though he is not among the most widely remembered French authors today, he remains part of the rich world of 19th-century French literary life.