Rafael Sabatini
Birth Name:
Rafael Sabatini
Birth Place:
Jesi, Italy
Profession
Writer
Fast Facts
- Served with British Intelligence during World War I as a translator
- Moved to Liverpool, England permanently in 1892, where he worked as a translator until he could establish himself as a full-time novel writer in 1905
- Spent his early years in several locations across Europe, living in Italy, England, and Portugal and attending school in Switzerland
- It is often thought that he was born illegitimate, a theme which appears in several of his novels, including "The Lion's Skin," "Scaramouche," and "The Tavern Knight․"
- Among his numerous novels were "Mistress Wilding," "The Black Swan," "The Sea-Hawk," and "Bellarion․"
- Best known as a romance and adventure novel writer whose works were made into films like "Captain Blood" and "Scaramouche․"
- The inscription that his wife, Christine Dixon, chose for his grave upon his death in 1950 was the first line from "Scaramouche:" "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad․"
- Although he spoke several languages, he chose to write his novels in English because, according to him, "all the best stories are written in English․"