Camilo Castelo Branco, 1st Viscount of Correia Botelho, was a prolific Portuguese writer of the 19th century, having produced over 260 books. His writing is considered original in that it combines the dramatic and sentimental spirit of Romanticism with a highly personal combination of sarcasm, bitterness and dark humour. He is also celebrated for his peculiar wit and anecdotal character, as well as for his turbulent life.