Hector Malot

Hector-Henri Malot was born on May 20, 1830, in La Bouille, France. He studied law in Rouen and Paris, but literature soon became his true passion. Before establishing himself as a novelist, he worked as a literary critic for L’Opinion Nationale and a dramatic critic for Lloyd Français.

Malot published his first book, Les Amants, in 1859 and went on to write more than 70 books. His fiction often explored contemporary life and the difficulties faced by ordinary people, while works such as Les Aventures de Romain Kalbris and Sans Famille also became beloved children’s classics.

Published in 1878, Sans Famille follows Rémi, an orphan who travels through France with the street musician Vitalis. The novel became Malot’s best-known work, although it was not originally written specifically for children. Malot died in 1907.