William Wilkie Collins (January 8, 1824-September 23, 1889), an English author and playwright, was known for his popular detective stories, especially for The Moonstone (1868), considered one of the greatest in world literature. Collins, who spoke French and Italian, became friends with Charles Dickens and co-authored several works with him. His works were most successful during the 1860s, but the quality of his work declined correspondingly to the downturn of his health.