Wilkie Collins

William Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) was an English author born in London to painter William Collins. Educated privately and trained in law, he chose writing over legal practice. In 1851, he formed a close literary partnership with Charles Dickens. Collins pioneered modern detective fiction through serialized masterworks like The Woman in White (1860) and The Moonstone (1868). Plagued by gout and a severe laudanum addiction, his health and popularity declined in later years until his death in London.