Explorez tous les Ć©pisodes du podcast Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire! š„
| Titre | Date | DurƩe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What Matters in Jane Austen & Charles Dickens? : with John Mullan | 21 Nov 2025 | 00:41:04 | |
Dominic is joined by returning guest, the inimitable Professor John Mullan: author of What Matters in Jane Austen? (now released in a 250th Birthday Edition) and The Artful Dickens - both published by Bloomsbury Press In a lively chat, John sheds light on the tricks, devices and styles of these two incredible writers: Jane Austen and Charles Dickens ... And in case you havenāt heard John's previous conversation on Great Expectations we thoroughly recommend you scroll back to Episode 5 of this series also! If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Cock Lane Ghost: with Emma Clery | 17 Nov 2025 | 00:47:04 | |
Dominic is joined by the inimitable Prof. Emma Clery - author of The Rise of Supernatural Fiction 1762-1800 and Professor of English Literature at Uppsala University, Sweden. They continue this monthās theme of the supernatural, taking you on a journey into the heart of an event that caused a sensation in Georgian London, and would inspire Dickens decades later ā¦ The real life story of The Cock Lane Ghost set the stage for an earnest debate between Anglicans and Methodists - the former skeptical the latter credulous towards a spirit realm - where the dead can seek out the living and communicate with them. The alleged haunting in Cock Lane quickly spiralled in the first months of 1762, with many great figures of the age Samuel Johnson, Horace Walpole and Prince Edward, Duke of York attending seances to cross examine the ghost. At the heart of the controversy lay the very serious charge of murder that the ghost - known as āScratching Fannyā - was trying to convince her hearers of, and the very real possibility of the man accused being sent to the gallows. It will come as no surprise to you that Dickens loved this story! Mentioning it not only in articles but in three of his novels - through Mrs Nicklebyās flighty imagination, the disgruntled temper of Mrs Pipchin, and as Prologue to the madness and terror that engulfs A Tale of Two Cities ā¦ Joining us to bring to life the real characters from this story - in the form of articles, letters and transcripts - are the fantastic actors Peter Bray and Rachel Winters. Additional Sound Effects in this episode have been used under license from Epidemic Sounds If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Manuscript at Staplehurst: with Leon Litvack | 13 Aug 2025 | 00:17:43 | |
Bonus Episode! In which Dr. Leon Litvack recounts Dickens' dramatic retrieval of Part 16 ofĀ the Manuscript of Our Mutual Friend from the swaying carriage at Staplehurst; and reveals, here for the first time, a key discovery he has made; plus the cut sections he has restored in his new Oxford University Press Edition of the novel ... If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| OUR MUTUAL FRIEND š: with Leon Litvack | 07 Aug 2025 | 00:44:05 | |
Dominic is joined by Dr. Leon Litvack whose new edition of Our Mutual Friend for Oxford University Press will be published in November Leon is a reader at Queenās University Belfast, and is an expert analyst of Dickensā letters, manuscripts & handwriting. As well as being the Principal Editor of the Dickens Letters Project and Joint General Editor of the Oxford Edition of Charles Dickens, he sits on the Advisory Council for the UKās National Records and Archivesā¦ And returning to the series to read excerpts from the novel is actress Carlyss Peer If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Vincent Van Gogh: with Carol Jacobi | 31 Jul 2025 | 00:40:33 | |
Vincent Van Gogh was an avid reader of Dickens. Throughout his life Dickens' works provided not only a mental 'scaffold' that helped him to believe in his own mission as an artist, but also pull himself out of deep depressions ... Here to talk to Dominic today about the powerful connection between Dickens and Van Gogh is the inimitable Carol Jacobi, Curator of British Art (1850-1915) at Tate Britain where her many exhibitions included the celebrated Van Gogh in Britain ā¦ Here are links to paintings discussed in the episode: Vincent's Chair + Gaugin's Armchair The piano music in this episode was composed by Franz Gordon. Used with permission under license from Epidemic Sound If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Verse of Charles Dickens: with Lydia Craig & Emily Middleton | 25 Jul 2025 | 00:38:54 | |
Dickens' genius as a novelist is acknowledged the world over ... but what was he like as a poet? Joining Dominic today to find out are the inimitable Dr. Lydia Craig & Dr. Emily Middleton who have just co-authored The Verse of Charles Dickens (Edinburgh University Press) If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| (Encore!) BLEAK HOUSE š: with Stephen Fry | 15 Jul 2025 | 00:49:07 | |
Ahead of a new series Dominic re-shares the most popular episode of this show so far! Bleak House with the inimitable Stephen Fry who takes the listener on an intricate journey through the fog and mystery of Dickens' thrilling masterpiece. If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| GEORGE SILVERMAN'S EXPLANATION š: with Emily Middleton | 16 May 2025 | 00:42:57 | |
Hot on the heels of Dominic's audiobook of George Silverman's Explanation comes the discussion with Dr. Emily Middleton (formerly Bell) ā¦ who weāve met before in the episodes on Oliver Twist and The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices ā¦ Emily is working on George Silverman, and other rarer Dickens stories for Oxford University Press, and has just published The Verse of Charles of Dickens for Edinburgh University Press which she has co-authored with Dr Lydia Craig. ( There is a joint episode on this with Emily and Lydia already waiting in the wings) George Silverman's Explanation is an indictment against poverty, as powerful as you will find in any of Dickensā larger works. It is also a biting satire against the 'daring ignorance' and little 'meannesses' found in many non-conformist movements. Above all it is a deeply affecting examination of how far a childhood of of both want and punishing religious control can impact a manās self-worth and future happiness. If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| George Silverman's Explanation (Audiobook): Read by Dominic Gerrard | 12 May 2025 | 01:16:51 | |
Dominic reads George Silverman's Explanation - one of Dickens' rarer short stories - ahead of an upcoming discussion with Dr. Emily Middleton ... If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Pickwick's Legacy ... | 22 Apr 2025 | 00:06:33 | |
Here are two fragments that didn't make the cut in the previous episode on THE PICKWICK PAPERS ... Prof. Hugo Bowles talks about the afterlife of Pickwick & Gina Beck reads an extract where Pickwick is observed from a window by a Scientific Gentleman! If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| THE PICKWICK PAPERS š : with Hugo Bowles | 21 Apr 2025 | 00:48:39 | |
Dominic is joined by the inimitable Prof. Hugo Bowles who is currently working the OUP edition of The Pickwick PapersĀ to guide us through this riot of a novel - if it is a novel?Ā Hugo is an alumnus of both Oxford and Cambridge where he read English, Classics and Applied Linguistics. For over three decades he lectured at four Italian Universities and is the author of Dickens and Stenographic Mind (published by Edinburgh University Press). We last caught up with Hugo in his joint episodes with Dr. Claire Wood as they spoke about their award-winning Dickens Code Project. Joining us today, to read extracts from this dizzying narrative is the wonderful actress Gina Beck. The sounds of horses, carriages, seagulls and nature are used with permission from Epidemic Sound Caution: Listeners please note that the topic of suicide is covered in the earlier parts of the Pickwick story. If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| A Tour of 48 Doughty Street: with Jordan Evans-Hill | 07 Feb 2025 | 00:32:49 | |
Todayās episode is A Tale of Two Podcasts where Dominic teams up with Jordan Evans-Hill: creator and host of the Charles Dickens Museumās Inimitable podcast. Here Jordan takes the listener on a tour inside number 48 Doughty St - the house where Dickens lived and worked as he completed Pickwick, wrote the entirety of Oliver Twist & Nicholas Nickleby and began Barnaby Rudge ā¦ Jordan is a former footman from the Royal Household where he served the late Queen Elizabeth II. He is also a writer, having recently completed his debut novel and he works as the Head of Marketing and Commercial at the Dickens Museum.Ā And as you journey through the house you can follow the Dickens Museumās online interactive tour and walk around the rooms virtually as we go. If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| TO BE READ AT DUSK š: with Emily Middleton | 08 Nov 2025 | 00:29:19 | |
The ghostly episodes continue as Dominic welcomes back the inimitable Dr.Ā Emily Middleton who helps piece together the scattered psychological fragments that create Dickens' To Be Read at Dusk ... Ā Five couriers sit high up watching the sun set over snowy peaks of the St Bernard's Pass, their minds flitting from one strange unsettling anecdote to another. Ideas of premonition, mesmerism, and the powerful telepathy that can exist between twins, abound in this story ... Additional sound effects of the ghostly mountain have been used, with permission, from Epidemic Sound If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| A Jane Austen Year ... | 10 Jan 2025 | 00:01:00 | |
Dominic has helped create a sister podcast to mark the 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen's birth! On the first of every month a new episode of letters, scenes from the novels, recipes & talks about the objects in the house, will be published. And every sound you hear - including the birds - were recorded in Jane Austenās House and Garden.Ā So pour yourself a glass of Orange wine, and follow the link in the description, to enjoy the first January episode of this series ā¦ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Part Two) š : with John Bowen | 28 Dec 2024 | 00:52:41 | |
Welcome to Part Two of Dominic and John Bowen's journey through A Christmas Carol ... This episode was first broadcast on December 28, 2024 If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Part One) š : with John Bowen | 24 Dec 2024 | 00:55:04 | |
Itās Christmas Eve, and Dominic takes a deep dive with you all through A Christmas Carol. Returning to the series is the inimitable Prof. John Bowen (who recently worked on David Edgarās Carol adaptation for the RSC) and who like many of us, re-reads this ghostly little book every Christmas and has pondered its power and meaning for decades. The Carol Philosophy that Dickens expresses so generously in this story is truly universal: everyone has a chance to change and not be fixed, or branded, as the worst version of themselves. Dickensā righteous anger here is channeled and diffused with goodwill, laughter and an unyielding determination to think only the best of people ā¦ Joining the series again to read excerpts is the fantastic Hollie Hales and the violin you will hear throughout is played by the brilliant Alexis Bennett This episode was first broadcast on December 24, 2024 If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| āWhat Brutal Hand ā¦?': with Lydia Craig | 14 Dec 2024 | 00:04:40 | |
*This episode focuses on the theme of domestic violence* It is a moment in the story where Redlaw comes across āa woman sitting on the stairs, either asleep or forlornā and āwhose headā is ābent down on her hands and knees.ā Redlaw sees that her arms are āblack, her face cut, and her bosom bruised.ā Itās a deeply powerful, moment in the story, that reveals Dickensā compassion not only for the poor, but for women on the receiving end of violence and abuse at the hands of husbands, partners, fathers or sons ā¦ This episode was first broadcast on 24th December 2024Ā If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| THE HAUNTED MAN AND THE GHOST'S BARGAIN š : with Lydia Craig | 13 Dec 2024 | 00:54:05 | |
Todayās episode is on Dickensā final Christmas Book The Haunted Man and the Ghostās Bargain. A deeply powerful story, where the chemist, Stephen Redlaw is offered the chance to forget all his painful memories by a Phantom who is a ghastly copy of himself drawn from the shadows in his study. Redlaw accepts the ghostās bargain ā¦ but then faces a desperate struggle to have this spell lifted again, when to his horror he discovers that his new gift has a 'King Midas' quality of infecting everyone he meets (or nearly everyone) with the same curse of forgetting ā¦Ā Ā Light in the story comes in the form of Millie, one of Dickensā good little women and a ministering angel to the people around her. Millie, her sparky husband William Swidger and her ancient father in law Philip, quietly try to help Stephen: turning up the lamps or decorating his study with that powerful wintry emblem, holly ā¦ Dominic is joined by the inimitable Dr Lydia Craig, Lecturer in English at the University of Eastern Illinois. Lydia co-authored The Verse of Charles Dickens for Edinburgh University Press and her specialities include Nineteenth Century Race and Gender and The English Novel.She is both Associate editor of The Dickensian and The Charles Dickens Letters project, Co-editor of Dickens Search and Treasurer of The Dickens Society ā¦ This episode was first broadcast in 13th December 2024 If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Christmas Illustrations: with Lucinda Hawksley | 09 Dec 2024 | 00:48:20 | |
This episode marks the 3rd birthday of Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire! š„ Many of you will of course be familiar with the name of John Leech, whoās images for A Christmas Carol are now inseparable from Scroogeās story, and how we picture it, but as we move on through the rarer books The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man Leech is joined by other eminent artists such as Daniel Maclise, Richard Doyle, Clarkson Stanfield, Edwin Landseer, Frank Stone and John Tenniel ā¦ Dominic caught up with Lucinda while she was putting the finishing touches to her new book Victorian Christmas (published by WW Norton) which is a fun and festive look at all our Christmas customs , both ancient and modern, and the part her great-great-great Grandfather Charles Dickens played in popularising them for us today. There is a link to every Christmas illustration we talk about in this episode via the brilliant Charles Dickens Illustrated Gallery If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Gordon Riots: with Ian Haywood | 04 Jun 2024 | 00:50:52 | |
Dominic is joined today by the inimitable Professor Ian Haywood, of the Centre for Inclusive Humanities at the University of Roehampton. If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| DROOD ...š And Our Endless Attempts To End It: with Pete Orford | 15 May 2024 | 00:40:38 | |
Dominic is joined again by the inimitable Dr. Pete Orford for Part II of his examination of The Mystery of Edwin Drood ... And reading extracts today, it is an honour to welcome the fantastic actors Joseph Chance and Dan Wheeler together they are part of a quartet known as TheĀ Apocalypse Players: an award-winning podcast where role-playing and improvisation combine to create immersive stories for eager listeners each week. Dominic also asksĀ AI to try and write an ending to Edwin Drood with some truly hilarious results! If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Mrs Dickens: with Emily Howes | 11 Apr 2024 | 00:36:22 | |
Dominic is joined by the inimitable Emily Howes, author of The Painters Daughters, who is currently writing her second book, Mrs Dickens,Ā all about the life of Catherine Hogarth and her marriage to Charles Dickens ā¦Ā Emily is an alumna of Cambridge University, where she was a member of the famous Footlights. After gaining a First in English, she studied Lecoq at the London School of Performing Arts. She then went on to create work for theatre, radio and television. Highlights including two series of her show The Ladies BBC Radio 4, and performing in Tim Minchinās Rocking On for BBC Radio 2. Emily is also a recipient of the Hans Cohn Scholarship for the study of existential pyscotherapy ā¦ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| London Tide: with Ben Power | 04 Apr 2024 | 00:29:31 | |
Dominic meets Ben Power backstage at Londonās National Theatre who takes a break from rehearsals to talk about London TideĀ - an exciting new staging of Our Mutual Friend - Ā 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 Associate here at the National. His adaptation of The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, has become an international theatrical juggernaut, playing in London, New York, San Francisco and Sydney. His screen credits include the BBC series The Hollow Crown and Netflixās Munich: The Edge of War ā¦ London Tide runs from 10th April - 22nd June 2024. You can book tickets here If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Headless Horsemen & Morphean Space: with Kirstin Mills | 05 Nov 2025 | 00:38:03 | |
Dominic is joined by the inimitable Dr. Kirstin Mills Senior Lecturer and Director of the Master of Research & Graduate Diploma of Research in the Faculty of Arts, at Macquarie University. Kirstin's recent articles include the chapter "Morphean Space and the Metaphysics of Nightmare ..."Ā published in Gothic Dreams and Nightmares for Manchester University Press. Their conversation flits and tumbles through the realms of 19th Century dreams and nightmares. Many of which are sure to have visited the young Charles Dickens, thanks to the bedtime stories told to him by Mary Weller, and the books he would later read voraciously ā¦ Expect to meet Demons, Vampires, the much overlooked Headless Horseman and - one of the greatest literary creations of all time - Ichabod Crane! Sounds of horses, dutch folk dances, eerie whistling and windy gusts on a mountain side were used provided under license by Epidemic Sound If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| "The Haunted Man" (Excerpt): Read by Tom Andrews | 02 Jan 2024 | 00:09:32 | |
Our final festive extract comes from Dickensā last Christmas Book The Haunted Man and The Ghostās BargainĀ - read today by the fantastic actor Tom Andrews In the following scene Dr Redlaw - a celebrated chemist and teacher - is sitting down to dinner one Christmas. He is full of grief and feels that each passing year only seems add to the store of regrets and painful memories ā¦ Meanwhile the Swidger family: William,Ā Millie, and the elderly Philip, visit Redlaw and gently try to cheer him ā¦ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| āThe Battle of Lifeā (Excerpt): Read by Rebecca Tanwen | 30 Dec 2023 | 00:11:49 | |
Happy 6th Day of Christmas! Todayās guest is the wonderful Rebecca Tanwen reading for us the opening pages of Dickensā 4th Christmas book The Battle of Life ā¦ 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 have lived afterwards. The narrative works its way through a kind of time-lapse describing the changing seasons over many decades before settling on an orchard where amongst the apple-pickers two sisters - Grace & Marion - are found dancing along to a harp and fiddle with total abandon ā¦ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| "The Cricket on the Hearth" (Excerpt): Read by Tom Bennett | 29 Dec 2023 | 00:13:18 | |
Happy 5th Day of Christmas! The fantastic actor Tom Bennett reads an excerpt from Dickensā third Christmas book The Cricket on the Hearth ā¦ Tomās screen credits include his critically acclaimed portrayal of Sir James Martin opposite Kate Beckinsale in Love and Friendship, the HBO series Family Tree, Netlfixās After Life and coming soon in 2024 House of the Dragons. He also starred as Del Boy in the Londonās West End hit Only Fools and Horses ā¦ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| "The Chimes" (Excerpt): Read by Carlyss Peer | 23 Dec 2023 | 00:11:42 | |
The wonderful actress Carlyss Peer returns to the series to read an excerpt from Dickens' second Christmas Book The Chimes If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Christmas Carols: with Harry Christophers & The Sixteen | 21 Dec 2023 | 00:52:32 | |
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: If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| "The Holly Tree" (Excerpt): Read by Chris Nayak | 20 Dec 2023 | 00:13:51 | |
The wonderful actor Chris Nayak reads the from the First Branch of The Holly-Tree Inn - one of Dickens' rarer Christmas stories ā¦Ā Packed with self-deprecating humour, a fantastic snowy atmosphere, this a very pleasing festive narrative.Ā Chrisā stage credits include King Duncan in Macbeth at the Globe this year, and previously the RSC and West End. His screen work includes Coronation Street and We Hunt Together ā¦ So sit back an enjoy this openingĀ excerpt from The Holly Tree InnĀ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| A Dickensian Christmas Dinner: with Pen Vogler | 20 Dec 2023 | 00:40:47 | |
Dominic is joined by the wonderful award winning food historian Pen Vogler who returns to the podcast to talk about Dickensian Christmas Dinners ... This episode was originally broadcast on 20th December 2023 If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Lost Portrait: with Emma Rutherford | 19 Dec 2023 | 00:40:00 | |
Dominicās 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 between Gillies and Dickens, a bond that may have helped shape A Christmas Carol Her publications include Without Hands The Art of Sarah Biffin ā¦ a topic for a future episode! This episode was originally broadcast on 19th December 2023 If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| "Christmas at Dingley Dell": Read by Gina Beck | 18 Dec 2023 | 00:11:30 | |
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. Reading adapted from Chapter 28 of the Pickwick Papers by Dominic Gerrard ā¦ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Charles Ignatius Sancho: with Paterson Joseph | 15 Dec 2023 | 00:50:24 | |
The award-winning actor and writer Patterson JosephĀ takes the listener on aĀ 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,Ā and who had a front-row seat to the infamous Gordon Riots of 1780 ... If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Lawyer and The Ghost: Read by Jonathan Broadbent | 31 Oct 2025 | 00:07:52 | |
This Halloween ... actor Jonathan BroadbentĀ reads one of the interpolated ghost stories, fromĀ The Pickwick PapersĀ In The Lawyer and The Ghost a somewhat disreputable young Lawyer has retired to his meagre lodgings one night and is forced to debate with something not of this world ... If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Palimpsest: with CĆ©leste Callen | 13 Dec 2023 | 00:25:20 | |
Celeste Callen returns to share her insights on how HenriĀ Bergson's theories of the 'superficial self' and the 'mechanical man' permeate through Dickens' novels such as The Signal-Man,Ā Bleak House,Ā Hard Times, The Chimes,Ā and Master Humphrey's Clock If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Haunted Actor: with James Swanton | 02 Dec 2023 | 00:47:04 | |
Dominic is joined by the inimitable James SwantonĀ 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. His inspirations are far ranging, and a brilliant English teacher by the name of Mr Crisp who took James under his wing when he was at secondary school and set him on the path that he still treads today ā¦ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Stuffed (A History of Good Food and Hard Times in Britain): with Pen Vogler | 27 Nov 2023 | 00:31:28 | |
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 reflect not just the era's celebrated dining etiquettes but sometimes Dickens' own discomfort in these settings. If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Gunpowder Plot (from 'A Child's History of England') š : Read by Dominic Gerrard | 05 Nov 2023 | 00:19:35 | |
Host Dominic Gerrard reads Dickens' account of The Gunpowder Plot from his 1851 A Child's History of England ... If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Charles and Catherine: with Helena Kelly | 01 Nov 2023 | 00:25:54 | |
It is Publication Eve for todayās guest the inimitable Dr. Helena Kelly.Ā Her latest book The Life & Lies of Charles Dickens Ā (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 Dickensā wife Catherine, and understand the enormous struggles they both went through: when Charlesā genius sent their lives into the stratosphere, right from the very start of their marriage, at a time when no-one had written the handbook yet on how to cope with global fame ā¦ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| THE SIGNAL-MAN š: with John Bowen | 26 Oct 2023 | 00:42:08 | |
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 If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| THE LAZY TOUR OF TWO IDLE APPRENTICES š: with Dr. Emily Bell | 19 Oct 2023 | 00:51:32 | |
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 ApprenticesĀ - a unique blend of travel writing and ghost stories seen through the eyes of the quintessentially BritishĀ characters of Francis Goodchild and Thomas Idle, who amusingly mirror their creators, Dickens and Collins If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Shorthand Mysteries: with Dr. Claire Wood & Prof. Hugo Bowles | 12 Oct 2023 | 00:31:48 | |
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 ā¦? A year ago Dominic caught up with Dr. Claire Wood & Prof. Hugo Bowles on their extraordinary Dickens Code project. Since they last spoke,Ā Claire and Hugo have not only won the Research Project of the Year: Times Higher Education Award but have now - for the very first time - pooled all of Dickensā surviving shorthand manuscripts into one place in a special online exhibition entitled - Decoding Dickens: The Shorthand MysteriesĀ ā¦Ā If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Copperfield, Chuzzlewit ... Partridge? : with Armando Iannucci | 29 Sep 2023 | 00:41:54 | |
Welcome to thisĀ special one-on-one chat with Armando IannucciĀ -Ā one of the leading comedy writers and political satirists of our time - where we delve into his literary passions and influences. If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Dickens, Bergson & Time Travel: with CĆ©leste Callen | 21 Sep 2023 | 01:09:34 | |
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? If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| THE BLACK VEIL š: with Andrew Smith | 31 Oct 2025 | 00:43:41 | |
This Halloween Dominic is joined by the inimitable Prof. Andrew Smith who guides us through Dickens' The Black Veil and his latest book Dickens and the GothicĀ (for Cambridge University Press) Perhaps calling to mind Susan Hillās The Woman In Black ā¦Ā The Black VeilĀ begins with a young man sitting by the fire one winterās night, with cosy thoughts of Christmas. Out of the corner of his eye the veiled figure of a lady dressed in mourning appears, standing motionless, with eyes fixed on him.Ā As the story unfolds the man - a newly qualified doctor - is compelled to leave his cheerful parlour and head towards a derelict house in an isolated spot, to face whatever is waiting for him there ā¦ Returning to the series to read excerpts from Dickens, Radcliffe, Walpole & Thackeray is the brilliant actress: Rebecca Tanwen The 'harpsichord swirl' at the start of the Castle of Otranto reading has been used under license from EPIDEMIC SOUND. All other music and sound has been created by Dominic Gerrard If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD š: with Pete Orford | 14 Sep 2023 | 01:21:06 | |
Welcome to a new series of Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire!š„ Pete has written extensively on Shakespeare, Dickens but also Terry Pratchet, Philip Pulman and JK Rowling. With contributions to The Oxford Handbook and Blackwell Companion to Charles Dickens and he is currently editing Pictures From Italy for Oxford University Press. Pete is also the author of Edwin Drood: Charles Dickensā unfinished novel and our endless attempts to end it - which means following swiftly on the back of this episode he will be joining us again to talk about all the āwhat ifāsā and conspiracy theories that have sprung up in trying to solve the unanswered questions of what was Dickens going to write next at the point where his novel stops!Ā But right now, in this first part, our focus is on the text that exists ā¦ If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Dickens' Handwriting: with Emma Bache | 30 Jun 2023 | 00:55:39 | |
What if their scribbles on paper could reveal intimate details about a personās 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. If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| Paul Dombey's Wallpaper: with J.M. Varese | 23 Jun 2023 | 00:42:01 | |
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 shocking discovery of a poisonous pigment in their wallpaper business. Jon shares his inspirations for this riveting story and how it mirrors modern issues like climate change and denial of truth. If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||
| The Mega Dickens Readalong: with Katie Lumsden | 03 Jun 2023 | 00:50:04 | |
DominicĀ welcomes the brilliant writer Katie Lumsden back to the podcast. Katie has alsoĀ launched a The Mega Dickens Readalong, where you the listener are all invited to read all of Dickensā novels in chronological order, so in this episode she shares her impressions ofĀ the first five books that have been read by the group so far: Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop Ā and Barnaby Rudge.Ā Reading excerpts from these first five novels is the wonderful actress, Olivia Mace.Ā If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right hereĀ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard | |||