The Scarlet Pimpernel

Baroness Orczy (1865-1947) was born into wealthy aristocracy in Hungary, where her father was a notable composer. She studied music in Paris and art in London, where later some of her work was chosen to be exhibited at the Royal Academy. She married Montagu Barstow and they worked together to create a book of Hungarian folk tales and the play, The Scarlet Pimpernel. The Baroness brought her hero Sir Percy Blakeney into a series of successful novels which have been adapted into many movies and tv series, and continue to influence romance and historical thrillers today.