Miguel de Cervantes was the genius who created Don Quixote, the maddest knight in literature, and ironically, he spent his life fighting his own windmills. Born in 1547 in Spain, he had a career worthy of adventure: he was a soldier, lost the use of his left hand in battle, was captured by Algerian pirates and spent five years as a prisoner before being rescued.

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After a life full of ups and downs (far more downs than ups), he launched Don Quixote in 1605, revolutionising literature and inventing the modern novel. Despite his success, he never became rich, because in those days copyright was pure illusion. He died in 1616, the same year as Shakespeare, leaving an immortal legacy and proving that sometimes being a dreamer is worth it - even if the world insists on calling it madness.