The Writer's Dickens

Radio essay. BBC Radio 3. Five contemporary novelists examine the craft of Dickens' prose, and reflect on how the giant of British nineteenth century fiction is both a role model and a shadow looming over their own writing. Taking as their starting point a favourite extract from one of Dickens' novels, each writer discuss Dickens' themes, narrative techniques and writing craft, and tells us what they themselves have learnt from it.