The Friends of Charles DickensDickens was born in 1812. His father, a clerk in the navy pay office, was thrown into debtors' prison. The miserable treatment of children and the institution of the debtors' jail became topics of several of Dickens, novels。.Wilkie Collins (1824-1889)Although twelve years younger than Dickens Wilkie Collins became one of Dickens best friends. Collins was a popular novelist who developed the mystery novel style. The Moonstone is one of his best. He and Dickens wrote The Frozen Deep . Wilkie was the son of the painter William Collins. He was born in London and liv