Pierre Souvestre (1 June 1874 – 26 February 1914) was a French lawyer, journalist, writer and organizer of motor races. He is mostly remembered today for his co-creation with Marcel Allain of the fictional arch-villain and master criminal Fantômas.

Early life

He was born in Plomelin, a commune in Finistère, Brittany, the son of a prefect of Brittany who resigned from his post to settle in Paris. Souvestre studied law at the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly.

Career

He became a lawyer, then a journalist, and a businessman. He owned a garage in Liverpool from 1898, then a second in Paris from 1905. A delegate of the Automobile Club de France (fr), he organized motor races, contributed to the newspaper L'Auto (fr), and wrote technical books, including the 1907 book, A.C.F. History of the Automobile, and the French-English Automobile Dictionary in 1910. In 1909, already a published author, Souvestre co-wrote, with his friend and assistant Allain, their first novel, Le Rour. Investigating Magistrate Germain Fuselier, later to become a recurring character in the Fantômas series, appears in this first novel. In February 1911, Allain and Souvestre began the Fantômas book series at the request of Joseph-Arthème Fayard (fr), a publisher, who wanted to create a new monthly pulp magazine. Allain and Souvestre also jointly wrote the spy series Naz-en-l'air. After his death, Allain continued the Fantômas saga alone.

Private life

Souvestre took in Marcel Allain when Allain was driven from his home by his father. Souvestre died of a congestion of the lungs. Souvestre's former girlfriend, Henriette Kistler, married Marcel Allain on 27 September 1926. Kistler died in 1956.

Poetry

Conte

Automobile publications

Other work by Allain and Souvestre

The Fantômas books by Allain and Souvestre

The Naz-en-l'air books by Allain and Souvestre

Theater works by Allain and Souvestre