A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens Audio Book public
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Actor Dominic Gerrard hosts an exciting new series that explores the Life and Times of Charles Dickens: his extraordinary novels, who he was as a person, his career as a performer, and his activism. Guests include: Stephen Fry, Miriam Margolyes, Armando Iannucci, Alice Loxton, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Lucinda Hawksley, John Mullan, Pen Vogler, Andrew Davies, Rosie Holt, Bernard Cornwell .... and many more academics, writers, actors, directors and descendants of the great man himself! Along ...
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“A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, biting, clutching, covetous old sinner” is hardly hero material, but this is exactly what makes A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens such an unforgettable book and its hero, Ebenezer Scrooge such an extraordinarily enduring character. In the book's celebrated opening scene, on the night before Christmas the old miser Ebenezer Scrooge sits in his freezing cold counting house, oblivious to the discomfort of his shivering young assistant Bob Cratchit. Scrooge ...
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Dominic is joined today by the inimitable Professor Ian Haywood, of the Centre for Inclusive Humanities at the University of Roehampton. Together they delve into the astonishing 'Riots of Eighty' that gripped London for a week and were brought thrillingly to life in Dickens' Barnaby Rudge ... Ian is a specialist in the radical politics and visual c…
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Dominic is joined again by the inimitable Dr. Pete Orford for Part II of his examination of The Mystery of Edwin Drood ... Pete’s book Edwin Drood: Charles Dickens’ Unfinished Novel And Our Endless Attempts To End It … (Pen & Sword books) is our guide throughout. It is a hugely entertaining read where scholarly citations and tomfoolery combine with…
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Dominic is joined by the inimitable Emily Howes, author of The Painters Daughters, who is currently writing her second book, Mrs Dickens, all about the life of Catherine Hogarth and her marriage to Charles Dickens … Emily is an alumna of Cambridge University, where she was a member of the famous Footlights. After gaining a First in English, she stu…
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Dominic meets Ben Power backstage at London’s National Theatre who takes a break from rehearsals to talk about London Tide - an exciting new staging of Our Mutual Friend - which he has adapted with songs composed by the award-winning PJ Harvey Ben is a Tony Award winning, and a BAFTA & Olivier Award nominated writer for stage and screen, and an Ass…
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A new series of Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire! 🔥 will launch on Friday 5th April ... The first episode takes place deep inside London’s Royal National Theatre, mid-rehearsal, for London Tide - an exciting new adaptation of Our Mutual Friend, co-written by Ben Power and PJ Harvey. Previous series guests include: Stephen Fry, Miriam Margolyes, Arm…
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Our final festive extract comes from Dickens’ last Christmas Book The Haunted Man and The Ghost’s Bargain - read today by the fantastic actor Tom Andrews Tom’s screen credits include: This England (for Revolution films & Sky Atlantic), Netflix’s The Strays, Feelgood & Afterlife; HBO’S I Hate Susie and the BBC’s Show Trial … His stage work includes …
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Happy 6th Day of Christmas! Today’s guest is the wonderful Rebecca Tanwen reading for us the opening pages of Dickens’ 4th Christmas book The Battle of Life … The story opens with a wide shot of an ancient battle ground, where the traces of the fight have lingered through the centuries, not only in the earth but in the minds of the generations that…
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Happy 5th Day of Christmas! The fantastic actor Tom Bennett reads an excerpt from Dickens’ third Christmas book The Cricket on the Hearth … Caleb Plummer and his daughter Bertha are poor toymakers in the service of the cruel, miserly Tackleton. As the scene unfolds we learn that Caleb’s daughter Bertha is blind, and that her father is constantly tr…
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The wonderful actress Carlyss Peer returns to the series to read an excerpt from Dickens' second Christmas Book The Chimes You'll be transported to Trotty's humble abode, feeling the chill of the London streets and the welcoming embrace of his heart as he opens his home to strangers, reminding us of the transformative power of kindness and communit…
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Dominic is joined by the inimitable Harry Christophers CBE , founder and conductor of The Sixteen, one of the worlds most revered choral ensembles. With thanks to CORO for these stunning Christmas excerpts: Carol of the Bells Apple / Spotify Pilgrim Jesus Apple / Spotify Of a Rose Apple / Spotify This Have I Done ... Apple / Spotify Lo, How a Rose …
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The wonderful actor Chris Nayak reads the from the First Branch of The Holly-Tree Inn - one of Dickens' rarer Christmas stories … Packed with self-deprecating humour, a fantastic snowy atmosphere, this a very pleasing festive narrative. Chris’ stage credits include King Duncan in Macbeth at the Globe this year, and previously the RSC and West End. …
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Dominic is joined by the wonderful award winning food historian Pen Vogler who returns to the podcast to talk about Dickensian Christmas Dinners ... Focusing on Dickens' five Christmas books - A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man - Pen explores what the characters eat and why. From the Cra…
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Award-winning actress, comedian, and satirist Rosie Holt returns to the series to read the opening of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol on the 180th anniversary of its publication today in 1843 ... Rosie makes regular appearances on BBC Radio 4 and as a satirist her work is so powerful that half the country seem to think she’s an actual Conservati…
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Dominic’s guest today is the inimitable Emma Rutherford who recalls her time working on the rediscovery of a lost portrait of Dickens, painted by Margaret Gillies in 1843, and lost for over a century until its serendipitous reappearance at a South African auction. A pivotal snapshot of Dickens' life, the portrait's story hints at the profound bond …
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Light up your holiday season with the enchanting narration of our guest, the brilliant Gina Beck as she transports us to the charm and warmth of a festive journey from Charles Dickens' Pickwick Papers in a way that is sure to stir the Christmas spirit in you. Gina has been a star of London’s West End for nearly two decades playing the leads in Matl…
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What if the true essence of Christmas could shine brighter without the glitz and glamour of extravagant parties and expensive gifts? Join us on this heartwarming adventure with the Davenport family in Cedar Hill as they face financial struggles that threaten to dampen their annual Christmas recital. But hold on - Christmas isn't cancelled! Through …
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The award-winning actor and writer Patterson Joseph takes the listener on a fascinating journey into the captivating life of Charles Ignatius Sancho, an African man who found favour among the highest reaches of 18th-century British society, and who had a front-row seat to the infamous Gordon Riots of 1780 ... Sharing the inspiration behind his thri…
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Celeste Callen returns to share her insights on how Henri Bergson's theories of the 'superficial self' and the 'mechanical man' permeate through Dickens' novels such as The Signal-Man, Bleak House, Hard Times, The Chimes, and Master Humphrey's Clock Celeste Callen holds a BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature from King's College London and a…
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Check out the Truth Trek Podcast! In this podcast, you will go along for an adventure through scripture. Each episode will take a look at a particular passage or concept and dive deeper into its meaning. Come along as we unlock the Bible and see how understanding it better can help us to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! https://truthtrek.buzzspro…
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Dominic is joined by the inimitable James Swanton who is performing A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and Haunted Man in person this year at the Dickens Museum. And for those of you listening outside the UK you can watch a live stream of his Haunted Man - filmed inside number 48 Doughty Street - on the 11th December. James read English at Selwyn Colleg…
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Dominic is joined by the award-winning author and food historian Pen Vogler who offers insightful reflections on how Charles Dickens used food as complex metaphors in his novels, that reflect the psychological and societal shifts during the Victorian era. The richly detailed food descriptions in works like A Christmas Carol and Little Dorrit reflec…
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Host Dominic Gerrard reads Dickens' account of The Gunpowder Plot from his 1851 A Child's History of England ... Dickens transports back us to 1605, the era of King James I, Guy Fawkes and a conspiracy that shook the nation. This compelling narrative is a tribute to November 5th, a date that continues to resonate through the annals of history. Supp…
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It is Publication Eve for today’s guest the inimitable Dr. Helena Kelly. Her latest book The Life & Lies of Charles Dickens (published by Icon Books) lifts the cover on what we think we know about Dickens from his friend and sanctioned biographer John Forster. In this episode we try to spend some time with Dickens’ wife Catherine, and understand th…
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Dominic is joined by the inimitable Professor John Bowen who returns to this series to explore the hidden depths beneath the pages of one of Dickens' most iconic ghost stories -The Signal-Man Written only a year after Dickens survived the Staplehurst Rail Crash, The Signal-Man finds an author grappling with trauma and the conflicted feelings of fea…
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Dominic is joined by the inimitable Dr. Emily Bell who guides the listener through the rollercoaster that is Charles Dickens & Wilkie Collins' Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices - a unique blend of travel writing and ghost stories seen through the eyes of the quintessentially British characters of Francis Goodchild and Thomas Idle, who amusingly mir…
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Are you an unsung codebreaker? Does your knowledge and feel for Dickens mean that you could be the next person to crack some of the hieroglyphic mystery of the shorthand system that Dickens created for himself. Or are you able to trace the source of the writings that Dickens read from whilst dictating to his pupil Arthur Stone …? A year ago Dominic…
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Welcome to this special one-on-one chat with Armando Iannucci - one of the leading comedy writers and political satirists of our time - where we delve into his literary passions and influences. This lively conversation peels back the layers of Armando's lifelong love of Charles Dickens - Martin Chuzzlewit in particular -and his interest in John Mil…
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What does it mean to experience time? Is it a linear journey from past to present, or is it a complex and intricate web of memories, feelings, and experiences? Our guest today is the inimitable Céleste Callen, from The University of Edinburgh, who delves into her thesis that explores subjective temporal experience in Dickens’ fiction, through the l…
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Welcome to a new series of Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire!🔥 Today we take a deep dive into Dickens’ final, unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood … Joining us to talk about this extraordinary book, is the inimitable Dr Pete Orford who is a Lecturer in English Literature, and Course Director for the MA research in Charles Dickens, at the Uni…
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What if their scribbles on paper could reveal intimate details about a person’s character, personality, and even their health? Charles Dickens, one of the greatest authors in the annals of literature, is under the microscope in this riveting conversation with Emma Bache, one of the UK's top graphologists. Emma offers her expert analysis on Dickens'…
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What do luxurious wallpapers, deadly poison, and supernatural elements have in common? Join host Dominic Gerrard for a captivating conversation with novelist and literary historian Jon Michael Varese as we unravel the mysteries of his latest novel, The Company. Set in 1870, this gothic tale follows the Braithwhite family as they grapple with the sh…
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Dominic welcomes the brilliant writer Katie Lumsden back to the podcast. Katie's debut novel The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, published by Penguin's Random House, is now out in the shops (both sides of the Atlantic) and ready to be a part of your summer reading. Katie has also launched a The Mega Dickens Readalong, where you the listener are all invit…
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Dominic is joined by Dr. Nicholas Cambridge who is an Honorary Research Fellow in Humanities at the University of Buckingham and a visiting scholar in Medical Humanities at Nova Scotia’s Dalhousie University. After qualifying as an electrical engineer, Nicholas switched career to became a GP and as a medical student won the first ever History of Me…
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Dominic is joined by the brilliant actress, poet & playwright Laurie Ogden. Together they talk about her experience filming her TV debut as Biddy in FX's Great Expectations ... Laurie's poetry collection Humaning is available to purchase here: Support the Show. If you like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy…
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Dominic is joined by the brilliant Dr. Emily Bell who digs deep into Dickens’ second novel: Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy’s Progress … Emily is a Lecturer in Digital Humanities & Digital Skills at the University of Leeds; and is an alumna of both the University of Warwick (where she read English) and York where she completed her MA and Phd. She …
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Dominic is joined by the inimitable Steven Knight who's exciting and daring screenplays include Peaky Blinders, Taboo and SAS Rogue Heroes. Steven also adapted the dark and thrilling FX A Christmas Carol (with Guy Pearce as Scrooge) and has now re-imagined Great Expectations in a new series led by Olivia Colman. Now screening on Hulu in the US and …
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Host Dominic Gerrard reads the opening chapter of A Tale of Two Cities ... Support the Show. If you like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard Host: Dominic Gerrard Series Artwork: Léna Gibert Original Music: Dominic Gerrard Thank you for listeni…
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