Maurice Collis belongs to a group of British writers who took former Asian colonies of Great Britain as themes for their writings, in his case writing mainly about Burma (now called Myanmar). His many travel narratives and historical works on Burma not only contribute to the historical record of that country but also illustrate the sorts of predicaments colonial administrators encountered there, illuminating the cultural complexities of a colonial society.

Maurice Stewart Collis was born in Dublin on 10 January 1889. His parents, William Stewart Collis, a lawyer, and Edith Barton Collis, came from the Protestant gentry class. Collis was educated at Rugby School and Corpus Christi, Oxford, where he studied modern history. One of his friends from the Oxford days was Geoffrey Faber, who later founded Faber and Faber, which became Collis's chief publisher.

Collis's fascination with Asia began in his early years. In his autobiography The Journey Outward...