Gaston Leroux

Born in Paris in 1868, Gaston Leroux first built a career as a court reporter, theater critic, and international correspondent for the Paris newspaper Le Matin. He covered major events including the 1905 Russian Revolution before leaving journalism in 1907 to devote himself to fiction.

Leroux became one of France’s leading authors of detective and suspense fiction. His 1908 novel The Mystery of the Yellow Room, featuring amateur detective Joseph Rouletabille, is celebrated as a classic locked-room mystery. His most famous work, The Phantom of the Opera, was serialized in 1909 and published as a book in 1910, inspiring numerous films and stage adaptations.

He was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1909 and later helped establish a film production company with Arthur Bernède. Leroux died in Nice on April 15, 1927, aged 58.