Emma Orczy

Baroness Emmuska Orczy, known as Emma Orczy, was a Hungarian-born British novelist and playwright who created one of the most enduring characters in adventure fiction. Born in 1865 into a noble Hungarian family, she moved to London as a young woman and became one of the most popular writers of her era. She is best known for creating the Scarlet Pimpernel, the dashing English aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney who leads a secret double life rescuing French aristocrats from the guillotine during the French Revolution. The Elusive Pimpernel continues the adventures of this beloved character, with Sir Percy once again outwitting his French enemies through disguise, daring and wit. The Scarlet Pimpernel has been adapted countless times for stage, film and television, and the character is widely regarded as a precursor to modern superheroes with his secret identity and swashbuckling heroism. Orczy wrote over thirty novels as well as plays and short story collections. Her audiobooks and books continue to delight readers who love adventure, romance and historical fiction. She died in 1947.