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In France and Germany practically every child of seven and upwards knows the adventures of Nicholas. Written by the author of Asterix, Rene Goscinny, and with illustrations by New Yorker illustrator, Jean-Jacques Sempe, the five Nicholas books tell of the endearing exploits of the young French school boy and his chums. Available in twenty six languages and established as a literary cult figure, the sublimely innocent Nicholas has seduced millions of readers all over the world. Considered a classic and regularly used by primary and junior school teachers, these stories have the ability to delight both children and adults. Nicholas is the first of five titles to become available to English speaking children all over the world In some way similar to the cheekiness of Calvin and Hobbes and the innocence and naivete of characters created by the Italian film maker Roberto Benigni, Goscinny and Sempe have created a world of confusion that makes you chuckle out load. Written between 1959 and 1965 these classic books are continually reprinted around the globe and offer, not only an entertaining read, but a vivid description of French life and culture.

Clint Eastwood (USA, born 1930) is a veteran among the grand masters of contemporary American cinema, whose rise through the system took a highly unusual form. After playing iconic roles in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns of the 1960s, he returned to Hollywood and underwent a controversial reincarnation as the ultraviolent cop Harry.

Alfred Hitchcock (UK, 1899-1980) is undeniably the world's most famous film director. His name has become synonymous with the cinema, and each new generation takes the same pleasure in rediscovering his films, which are treasures of our artistic heritage.

Alfred Hitchcock (UK, 1899-1980) is undeniably the world's most famous film director. His name has become synonymous with the cinema, and each new generation takes the same pleasure in rediscovering his films, which are treasures of our artistic heritage.

Tim Burton (USA, born 1958) is the youngest of Hollywood's most successful directors. He has the knack of making films with a very broad appeal, taking the silliness out of the representation of children, while remaining in touch with the child within himself and his audiences.

Steven Spielberg (USA, born 1946) was the boy wonder of the new Hollywood of the 1970s. Taking Orson Welles as his model, he made Duel aged only 25, following it up with a string of successes that brought him the adulation of the studios. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in contemporary film.

Stanley Kubrick (USA, 1928-99) was a master who took the art of filmmaking further than any other contemporary director, a creative perfectionist whose work fascinates new generations. He started out as a photographer before moving into film noir aged barely 25, after which the power and originality of his work soon brought him box-office success.

Alfred Hitchcock (UK, 1899-1980) is undeniably the world's most famous film director. His name has become synonymous with the cinema, and each new generation takes the same pleasure in rediscovering his films, which are treasures of our artistic heritage.

Clint Eastwood (USA, born 1930) is a veteran among the grand masters of contemporary American cinema, whose rise through the system took a highly unusual form. After playing iconic roles in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns of the 1960s, he returned to Hollywood and underwent a controversial reincarnation as the ultraviolent cop Harry.

Pedro Almodovar (Spain, born 1951) single-handedly represents the revival of Spanish cinema as part of the cultural flowering of the Movida Madrilena in the 1980s. New York was first to hail the unbridled imagination of this provocative director, whose films are filled with transsexuals, neurotics and even drug-addicted nuns.

Martin Scorsese (USA, born 1942) is among the most prolific of American directors, having made more than 25 features in a 40-year career that has seen him garner all the highest honours the film world can bestow. He is admired and respected throughout the world for the tireless work of his Film Foundation in preserving America's film heritage.

Steven Spielberg (USA, born 1946) was the boy wonder of the new Hollywood of the 1970s. Taking Orson Welles as his model, he made Duel aged only 25, following it up with a string of successes that brought him the adulation of the studios. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in contemporary film.

Francis Ford Coppola (USA, born 1939) is the oldest of the generation of 'movie brats', including Scorsese and Spielberg, who breathed new life into the Hollywood of the 1970s. He revived the glory of the studio age with the legendary "Godfather" saga (1972-90), explored the soul of America at war in Vietnam with "Apocalypse Now" (1979).

Woody Allen (USA, born 1935) has been a major comic director since the 1970s. Writer, director and actor, his self-portrayal as a neurotic, intellectual, sex-obsessed, Jewish New Yorker seeking comfort in psychoanalysis brought him immense popular success and acknowledged status as a writer ("Manhattan", 1979; and "Deconstructing Harry", 1997).

David Lynch (USA, born 1946) is perhaps the best known of all cult directors, whose Mulholland Drive marks cinema's arrival to the 21st century. His career began more than 30 years ago, with the groundbreaking, mystifying "Eraserhead" (1977).

Alfred Hitchcock: Masters of Cinema Series