William Wilkie Collins, 1880 (oil on canvas)

Wilkie Collines (1824-89) was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. He was also a prodigious user of opium..Collins was born into the family of painter William Collins in London. He received his early education at home from his mother. He then attended an academy and a private boarding school. He also traveled with his family to Italy and France, and learned the French and Italian languages. He served as a clerk in the firm of the tea merchants Antrobus & Co. His first novel Iolani, or Tahiti as It Was; a Romance, was rejected by publishers in 1845. His next novel, Antonina, was published in 1850.