Jules Verne was a Top 10 facts about the French novelist, poet, and playwright

1. According to Unesco, Jules Verne is the second most translated author, behind Agatha Christie but ahead of Shakespeare.

2. There is a tale, probably exaggerated, that aged 11, he tried to sail to the Indies as a cabin boy.

3. Before writing novels, Verne wrote short stories, plays and operetta libretti, most of which are lost.