Robert Louis Stevenson – 19th-century Scottish writer, author of Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Afflicted with tuberculosis, he travelled widely seeking better climates. His adventure novels and psychological tales became enduring classics of world literature.
🏴☠️ Treasure Island shaped the modern image of pirates – treasure maps with an “X,” parrots on shoulders. 😲 Stevenson coined “Jekyll and Hyde” as a metaphor for human duality. 🌍 Travelled through Europe, America, and settled in Polynesia and Samoa. 🏠 On Samoa, locals called him Tusitala – “the storyteller.” 📖 His works influenced Conrad, Borges, and Hemingway. ✍️ Kept writing despite illness, sometimes dictating from bed. 🎭 Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde inspired countless stage and film versions. 💔 His wife Fanny Osbourne, older than him, was his closest editor and companion. 😄 Funny fact: Treasure Island began as a map Stevenson drew to amuse his stepson.