Romain Gary

Romain Gary
Gary in 1961
BornRoman Kacew
(1914-05-21)21 May 1914
Vilnius, Vilna Governorate, Lithuania
Died2 December 1980(1980-12-02) (aged 66)
Paris, France
Pen nameRomain Gary, Émile Ajar, Fosco Sinibaldi, Shatan Bogat
OccupationDiplomat, pilot, writer
LanguageFrench, English, Polish, Russian, Yiddish
NationalityFrench
CitizenshipRussian Empire and Republic of Poland / France (since 1935)
EducationLaw
Alma materFaculté de droit d'Aix-en-Provence
Paris Law Faculty
Period1945–1979
GenreNovel
Notable worksLes Racines du ciel
La Vie devant soi
Notable awardsPrix Goncourt (1956 and 1975)
Spouse
(m. 1944; div. 1961)
    (m. 1962; div. 1970)
    Children1

    Literature portal

    Romain Gary (pronounced [ʁɔ.mɛ̃ ga.ʁi]; 21 May [O.S. 8 May] 1914  2 December 1980), born Roman Kacew (pronounced [katsɛf]) and also known by the pen name Émile Ajar, was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II aviator. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt twice (once under a pseudonym). He is considered a major writer of French literature of the second half of the 20th century. He was married to Lesley Blanch, then Jean Seberg.