Madame de Lafayette was born in Paris in 1634. After living in the country with her husband for a time, she returned to Paris in the 1660s. There, she ran a literary salon from her home, and cultivated connections with the court of King Louis XIV. The Princess de Cleves was published anonymously in 1678, became an immediate succes de scandale and is considered a classic of French literature. Nancy Mitford was an English novelist, biographer and journalist who wrote classics such as The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate. She was celebrated for her wit, social insight and satire. Her translation of The Princess de Cleves was published in 1950. Selina Hastings is a journalist and author; she studied at St. Hugh's College, Oxford before launching her writing career in 1985 with the publication of Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady.