Walter Besant

Walter Besant was born in Portsmouth in 1836, and graduated from Cambridge in 1859, after which he took a position as a professor in the Royal College at Mauritius. He returned to England in 1868 because of ill health, and began writing, as well as serving as secretary to the Palestine Exploration Fund. His first novels were written in collaboration with James Rice. However, after Rice died, Besant continued to write. Many of his works were aimed at illuminating the plight of the poor. He was also influential in the field of author’s rights, helping raise both awareness and income for many writers.