Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Alcalá de Henares, 29th September 1547-Madrid, 22nd April 1616) was a Spanish soldier, novelist, poet and playwright. Considered one of the greatest figures in Spanish literature and known throughout the world as the author of Don Quijote de la Mancha, which many critics have described as the first modern novel and one of the greatest works of world literature, in addition to being the most widely published and translated book in history, only exceeded by the Bible. He has been nicknamed the 'Prince of Ingenuity'.