( in english ) SIRE CEDRIC France Born in 1974

This french writer was born the 24 th of october, in 1974 in Haute Garonne, and spend his childhood in the small village of St Geniez d'Olt, in the south of France. Here is a picture of this place :

The name of "Sire Cedric", as the writer explains it, is a pseudonym which refers, among other things, to Circé, who, in the Greek mythology, is a powerful magician, often considered as a godess. Used by the author for about 15 years, this pseudo is obviously older than the beginning of his literary carreer, and is not only a pen name.

As a self educated man, Sire Cedric made his learning of life through numerous travels all around the world, and in practicing many different jobs.

In 1995, he frequently participates to a toulousan radio broadcast based on Metal music. He begins to read some fantastic / terror novel extracts of writers he admires, such as Clive Barker or Poppy Z. Brite. Then, he starts to write his own little stories, specially adapted for the radio, and read them to the audience.

In 2000, he creates in a small scale production leaflets featuring his own novels, sold by correspondance. His work begins to be published in various fanzines based on the fantastic / Gothic / terror literature.

In 2004, the name of Sire Cedric starts to be known outside of the fanzine little world and he creates for the editor "L'Oxymore" an anthology called "Polar", compilating many texts from various authors mixing the detective and fantastic style. This compilation is very successful and is today considered as a classic in his field. He participate next to some others compilations.

In 2005, the editor " Nuit d'Avril" publishes his first book with his own texts, called " Dechirures", a compilation of 9 short stories , whom style is decribed by the writer as "bloody fantastic".

"Déchirures" is immediately a success, and received very enthousiastics reviews from the mediums - and not only those one specialised in the fantastic / terror style - and has been elected " Coup de coeur of the Paris Libraries" in 2006.

As a meddling man, Sire Cedric joins also this year a young black metal group called " Grimoria", as lead singer.

In january 2006, encouraded by this first success, Sire Cedric becomes officially writer in full time. " Angemort", the first novel of this writer, is published. He is sold so quickly that the first printing is quickly out of print. Re printed, this book is now in the FNAC's shelves, among other shops. ( the FNAC is the biggest book seller's store in France ).

At present, Sire Cedric, who lives in Toulouse ( picture of the "pink town - toulouse - because of the traditional shades of paint on buildings" here below ), has other writing projects in progress. He contributes also to the writing of the "Elegy" magazine as reviewer, and makes also some translations from english language to french of short stories for many magasines ( such as the Fiction N°4, the french adaptation of the magazine "Fantasy and Science Fiction" ).

To know more about him, here is his official website ( in french language ) :

http://www.sire-cedric.com/Php/rubrique.php?rubrique=agenda

SHELLEY Mary ( text in english )

Mary Shelley was born the 30 th of August, 1797. As a child, she spend most of her free time buiding an imaginary world for herself and writting little stories.She was sent at 15 in Scotland to cure some illness. There, she wrote more and more and developped a love for Nature.

Aged of 17, Mary came back in her family and met the english poet Percy Shelley during a writer's meeting organised by her father. Percy, aged at that moment of 22 in 1815 and married by convenience, fall in love with Mary and decided to take her with him in Europe during one of his travel .

3 months later, they came back in England and Mary was pregnant. She gave birth prematurely to a girl who lived only a few days. A second child was born in 1816, called William. The couple is settled at that moment at Windsor, in the Bishopsgate area. Below, you can see the Shelley's house at the time of Mary Shelley, and next, nowadays.

Percy tries to convince Mary to write, but she lacks time, too much occupied with her travels and family. On the other hand, the couple express an insable love for litterature in reading about 700 books within 8 years.

They decide to come back in Europe and move into the Chapuis house in the town of Cologny near Geneva, aside to the Diodati villa ( see picture below ), where are living Lord Byron ( picture N°2 ), and his secretary and doctor John Polidori ( Picture N°3 ).

Percy is very happy with that because he adores Byron's poems. Each evening they have a walk all together around the lake. But the weather is becoming cold and they go on meeting in the Diodati villa to comment their latest readings.

Below, a view of Cologny from the Byron field, on the opposite side of the lake :

Following the reading of a german compilation of horror short stories, Byron challenge his friends to write a story about ghosts... Byron starts one about vampires, Polidori a story with a skull-headed woman, but none of the 2 achieve his story. ( Byron's story will taken later by Polidori which turned it into a story called "The vampyre" in 1819 ).

Mary take inspiration in a nightmare she made, starring ascientist which give life to a dead creature thanks to electricity. The "Frankenstein" concept was born.

Mary and Percy come back in England, and Mary carried on working on the "Frankenstein" story. At that period, Theofficial spouse of Percy killed herself, and Percy spoused Mary, who became his official wife.

Mary finishes to write her story in april, 1817. Percy adds an intro and they go to London to find an editor. After two refusals, the manuscript is accepted by Lackington. The book was published in march 1818 in 3 volumes, reedited in 1823, then reworked and reedited in 1831 ( the version diffused nowadays ).

In 1818, Mary, encouraged by her husband, wrote too 2 plays and 2novels.

In 1827, Percey goes to Livourne by ship and is wrecked. Mary come back in London and put all her energy to publish the whole writings of her deceased husband.

To assure the future of her children, Mary strarts a professionnal writer's office and write numerous poems, short stories, reviews, and a second anticipation story, "The last man", but she never achieved it.

She proposes too to her editor some projects linked to history, one of her passion : The story of Mexico, a biography of Mahommet,...

Mary died in february 1851, aged of 54. She will stay in memories for "Frankenstein", worldwide famous, but the main part of her writings will stay nearly unknown...

To know more about Mary Shelley : http://home-1.worldonline.nl/~hamberg/

To know more about the places visited by the Shelley's : http://srv2.lycoming.edu/~lewes/shelleysites/englandframe.htm