Profiles

Marcel Pagnol told extraordinary stories about ordinary people against the backdrop of his beloved Provençal countryside

How two Frenchmen founded one of the most popular sports competitions in the world

France is seen as the birthplace of conjuring thanks to a 19th century watchmaker from Blois

Margaret Kelly was a talented dancer who established one of the capital’s most glamorous dance troupes. Her dazzling life is filled with success and heartbreak

We reveal the highs and lows of Jean Mermoz, the charismatic pilot who lived his short life to the full

In WW1, Louise de Bettignies worked undercover for the British secret service. We look at her heroic life

The journalist, whose story is to be dramatised by Netflix, helped save the lives of some 2,500 people at risk from the Nazis by smuggling them out of France to safer countries including the US

Family turmoil, ill health and hurtful rejection by literary peers plagued a life that was still full of travel and adventure

From working on the family farm, ‘Mère Brazier’ went on to make simple, Lyonnais cooking world class. We discover her life, recipes and legacy

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin – the performer, playwright and lascivious lover, better known as Molière – celebrates his 400th birthday this year