'Persepolis' author Marjane Satrapi dies aged 56

Franco-Iranian author and film director Marjane Satrapi, best known for the graphic novel and film "Persepolis", has died aged 56, AFP learned Thursday from a member of her close circle."Marjane Satrapi died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life," they said in a statement sent to AFP.Ripa, a Swedish producer, actor and screenwriter, died on April 8 last year. Satrapi, an outspoken critic of Iran's theocratic government, arrived in France in 1994 and gained French nationality in 2006.