Michel Leiris was one of the most influential French intellectuals and writers of the twentieth century. Best known for his four-volume autobiography La règle du jeu (1948–76), Leiris was the author of an astonishing range of works including poetry, criticism, ethnography, sociology and art history. His books available in English include Manhood (translated by Richard Howard) and the first two volumes of La règle du jeu (translated by Lydia Davis).