"As he approached his 28th birthday in February 1840, Dickens knew himself to be famous, successful a..." — Claire Tomalin

I always feel sad when I come to the end of a book.

Dickens was a part of how the whole celebration of Christmas as we know it today emerged during the 19th century.

'A Christmas Carol' has been described as the most perfect of Dickens's works and as a quintessential heart-warming story, and it is certainly the most popular.

The thing I love about Rome is that is has so many layers. In it, you can follow anything that interests you: town planning, architecture, churches or culture. It's a city rich in antiquity and early Christian treasures, and just endlessly fascinating. There's nowhere else like it.