Chaired by Linda Jaivin

“What is so good about Dickens’ novels?” asks John Mullan – and then proceeds to answer in thirteen essays of exquisite prose. From Dickens’ evocation of the senses, particularly taste and smell, to his inventiveness with names; from the melodrama of Little Dorrit to the high-mindedness of Hard Times, Mullan’s Dickens emerges as a shapeshifter and conjuror extraordinaire. Whether you know your Twist from your Copperfield, or you’re a complete Dickens newbie, The Artful Dickens is a riveting read and brings a welcome focus to one of the English language’s greatest minds.