Life: Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850. At 17 he enrolled at the Edinburgh University, studying engineering so that he might build lighthouses like his father. However, he abandoned this course and turned to studying law. Yet he did not practice law as he now knew that he wanted to be a writer. Stevenson died at 44 in 1894

Works: Robert Louis Stevenson’s most famous works would be ‘ The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’,’Treasure Island’ and ‘Kidnapped’. However, he also wrote many other short stories and books.

Illnesses: In his early childhood Stevenson suffered from tuberculosis. He was also prone to coughs and colds. This was enhanced when he and his family moved to a colder, damper house. Stevenson was away from school for long stretches of time due to his illnesses and was privately tutored during these periods. However, Robert Louis Stevenson was always optimistic and in fact wrote his most joyful book on a bed in a dark, dank room.