The Inimitable

In this bi-centenary anniversary of one of our greatest novelists, Claire Tomalin’s monumental Dickens biography is flawless in its historical detail, perceptive on the novels and compellingly vivid in the sense it conveys of the man himself: ambitious; restless; radical; workaholic; saint and sinner; above all, marvellous, driven writer whose portrayal of London still influences the way we see the city and whose work is treasured all over the world. His life story is as colourful as any of his fictions, which makes his biography as gripping as his novels, its cast of memorable characters often reappearing, thinly disguised, in his books. Chaired by Michael Farthing, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex.

Supported by Hugh and Catherine Stevenson