Gary, Romain

A best-selling author in France and a two-time winner of the Prix Goncourt, Romain Gary wrote in both French and English and under the pseudonyms Emile Ajar Gary and Fosco Sinibaldi. Best known for "Lady L, The Life Before Us, Promise at Dawn: A Memoir," and "The Roots of Heaven," he published his first novel, "L'education europeenne," when he was 31. His film, "Les Oiseaux vont mourir au Perou," was banned by the Cinema Control Commission. Gary committed suicide in Paris in 1980.