Decorated novelist of the Victoria era
A contemporary of Charles Dickens, William Wilkie Collins was an acclaimed author, playwright and short story writer credited with writing the first detective novel, The Moonstone. His father, William Collins, was an established painter. Collins would come to be known by his middle name, ‘Wilkie,’ his grandfather’s surname.
Collins grew up in Italy and France, becoming fluent in French and speaking Italian well. When the family moved back to London, Collins attended a boarding school, where he was bullied and forced to tell stories before being allowed to sleep. This experience awakened the spirit of the storyteller within him.
Although not highly educated, Collins wrote from a young age. He left school early and worked as a clerk for a tea merchant. He continued to write and published a short story, The Last Stage Coachman when he was just 19. Encouraged by this early success, he wrote his first novel by the age of 21, although it was rejected by publishers and never published in his lifetime.
Collins’ father, disturbed that he did not wish to become a painter or a clergyman, encouraged his son to take up law. However, the young Collins spent much of the time he should have been studying in writing his second novel, Antonina, or the Fall of Rome. In spite of this, Collins completed his novel and passed his bar exams within a year of one another. His father died shortly afterwards, and his son published a book of his father’s memoirs in 1848; Antonina was published in 1850. Collins never practised law, but he used his knowledge of legal processes throughout his published works.
Collins’ friendship with Charles Dickens emerged in 1851. The two acted together, checked each other’s writings and were a source of mutual encouragement. Collins was a member of Britain’s literary elite of the time, writing plays and short-stories to much acclaim. Dickens published much of Collins’ work in his All the Year Round journal.
Collins achieved international acclaim in the 1860s, when his most well-known works were published. The Woman in White, No Name, Armadale and The Moonstone established Collins as a writer at the top of his craft. However, while the 1860s brought Collins fame, they also brought his struggle with gout. The opium he took for treatment led to an addiction and his decline began.
Although the writings that followed were not met with the same warm reception, Collins continued to write prolifically and to have his work published. He wrote passionately on the social issues of the time, including women’s persecution and class conflict; he is one of the first to write about disabilities in the English language. His novels are purposeful and socially penetrating and are still read with interest today.
Collins grew up in Italy and France, becoming fluent in French and speaking Italian well. When the family moved back to London, Collins attended a boarding school, where he was bullied and forced to tell stories before being allowed to sleep. This experience awakened the spirit of the storyteller within him.
Although not highly educated, Collins wrote from a young age. He left school early and worked as a clerk for a tea merchant. He continued to write and published a short story, The Last Stage Coachman when he was just 19. Encouraged by this early success, he wrote his first novel by the age of 21, although it was rejected by publishers and never published in his lifetime.
Collins’ father, disturbed that he did not wish to become a painter or a clergyman, encouraged his son to take up law. However, the young Collins spent much of the time he should have been studying in writing his second novel, Antonina, or the Fall of Rome. In spite of this, Collins completed his novel and passed his bar exams within a year of one another. His father died shortly afterwards, and his son published a book of his father’s memoirs in 1848; Antonina was published in 1850. Collins never practised law, but he used his knowledge of legal processes throughout his published works.
Collins’ friendship with Charles Dickens emerged in 1851. The two acted together, checked each other’s writings and were a source of mutual encouragement. Collins was a member of Britain’s literary elite of the time, writing plays and short-stories to much acclaim. Dickens published much of Collins’ work in his All the Year Round journal.
Collins achieved international acclaim in the 1860s, when his most well-known works were published. The Woman in White, No Name, Armadale and The Moonstone established Collins as a writer at the top of his craft. However, while the 1860s brought Collins fame, they also brought his struggle with gout. The opium he took for treatment led to an addiction and his decline began.
Although the writings that followed were not met with the same warm reception, Collins continued to write prolifically and to have his work published. He wrote passionately on the social issues of the time, including women’s persecution and class conflict; he is one of the first to write about disabilities in the English language. His novels are purposeful and socially penetrating and are still read with interest today.
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