A lifelong fan of Charles Dickens, Lynne Roberts discusses the impact his stories had on the working class, and why his books should never be read at school
I take broad view that reading is good for you. It improves vocabulary. Boosts language skills and school marks. Improves general knowledge.
Michel Houellebecq's latest novel is almost respectable, writes Tymon Smith
Trilby Kent writes novels for adults and children. Her most recent is Stones for my Father, about a girl's struggle for survival in the Anglo-Boer War.
Closet novelist Richard de Nooy explores the underbelly of the city in his new book. He speaks to Tymon Smith
One of life's great pleasures is to read or recommend a book you've loved to your child. In the early years, when they can't read to themselves, you hold all the cards - credit and library.
JG Ballard once said he was "the most important writer to emerge since World War 2,", while Norman Mailer claimed that he was "the only American writer who may be conceivably possessed by genius."
British writer Charles Dickens was born 200 years ago on February 7, 1812. Dickens was one of the great forces in 19th-century British literature and an influential voice against social injustice in the Victorian age.
