Wilbur Addison Smith was a Northern Rhodesian-born British-South African novelist who specialized in historical fiction focused on Southern Africa. Born on 9 January 1933, he became renowned for his vivid depictions of international involvement in Southern Africa across four centuries.

His first published novel, When the Lion Feeds, secured a film contract, encouraging him to pursue writing full-time. Smith authored three major chronicles of the South African experience, all of which became best-sellers. His work often centered on Southern African lifestyles, highlighting themes of hunting, mining, romance, and conflict, following the advice of his publisher, Charles Pick, to "write about what you know best."

Throughout his career, Wilbur Smith published 49 books, selling over 140 million copies worldwide, with significant success in Italy. He passed away on 13 November 2021.