Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (/srvæntiz/; US: /srvntez/; Spanish: [miel de eßantes saaßeða]; 29 September 1547 (assumed) 22 April 1616 NS) was a Spanish writer who is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. His novel Don Quixote has been translated into over 140 languages and dialects; it is, after the Bible, the most-translated book in the world.
Don Quixote, a classic of Western literature, is sometimes considered both the first modern novel and the best work of fiction ever written. Cervantes' influence on the Spanish language has been so great that the language is often called la lengua de Cervantes ("the language of Cervantes"). He has also been dubbed El príncipe de los ingenios ("The Prince of Wits").