A fisherman who had known me when Emily and I were children whispered my name at the door, would you come over yonder? The old remembrance that had been recalled to me was in his look. Has a body come ashore? Yes. Do I know it? He answered nothing, but he led me to the shore. Among the ruins of the home he had wronged. I saw him, lying with his head upon his arm. As I had so often seen him lie at school, step forth. Thank you very much. We had you, we had Dickens, and we had Styrforth. Wow.
Join Simon Callow as he shares his infectious enthusiasm and profound knowledge of Charles Dickens in this conversation produced in partnership with Sotheby’s. As an acclaimed actor who has portrayed the author and written a biography about him, Callow is an authority on Dickens' eccentricities and literary genius. In conversation with novelist Kate Mosse and Sotheby's books specialist David Goldthorpe, he shares personal anecdotes and explores Dickens' transformative storytelling through key texts – including a fascinating handwritten reading text of David Copperfield featured in Sotheby’s upcoming auction – revealing how the great author has shaped his life and career.
This event was recorded on 11 July 2023 as part of Sotheby’s Book Week, held to mark a series of sales taking place in London, Paris and New York from 4-20 July featuring literature, illustrations and musical manuscripts that span continents and centuries. The London auction will take place on Thursday 20 July. Please visit sothebys.com to find out more.
This conversation was produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye and edited by Producer Catharine Hughes.
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