A Christmas Carol Penguin illustration 2019

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The greatest film adaptations of ‘A Christmas Carol’

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Charles Dickens Penguin Clothbound Classics

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Which Charles Dickens novel should you read?

The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices

Charles Dickens (Author) Charles Dickens was born in Hampshire on February 7, 1812. His father was a clerk in the navy pay office, who was well paid but often ended up in financial troubles. When Dickens was twelve years old he was send to work in a shoe polish factory because his family had been taken to the debtors' prison. His career as a writer of fiction started in 1833 when his short stories and essays began to appear in periodicals. The Pickwick Papers, his first commercial success, was published in 1836. The serialisation of Oliver Twist began in 1837. Many other novels followed and The Old Curiosity Shop brought Dickens international fame and he became a celebrity in America as well as Britain. Charles Dickens died on 9 June 1870. He is buried in Westminster Abbey. Wilkie Collins (Author) Wilkie Collins was born in London on 8 January 1824. His father was the landscape painter William Collins. After school he worked for a tea merchant before studying to become a lawyer. In 1848 he published a biography of his father and his first novel, Antonina, followed in 1850. In 1851 he met Charles Dickens who would later edit and publish some of his novels. Collins's novels were extremely popular in his own time as well as now. The Woman in White (1859), No Name (1862), Armadale (1866) and The Moonstone (1868) are his best known works. Collins was linked with two women (one of whom bore him three children) but he never married. He died on 23 September 1889.

Two literary giants take to the road on a comic journey - both chaotic, and completely unforgettable 
 
Tired of the grind of work, two apprentices set out on a walking tour with no fixed plan, determined to do as little as possible. As they drift from town to town, they encounter curious characters, regale strange stories and witness moments of quiet absurdity that disrupt their idleness. 
 
BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: classic novellas and captivating stories, to be read in a single sitting or savoured over days

A Tale of Two Cities

A gorgeously giftable special hardback edition of A Tale of Two Cities, abridged for readers aged 9-12 years. 
 
Bound in high-quality cloth with a dazzling new foil-stamped cover design, Puffin’s Clothbound Classics are a gift that book lovers of all ages will treasure forever. 
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’ 
 
Charles Darnay is an exiled French aristocrat, fleeing a Paris torn apart by the French Revolution. Sydney Carlton lives a decadent life in London, where the wealthy waste and the poor starve. The two couldn’t be more different. Except they happen to look alike – and love the same woman. When Charles is captured after returning to Paris to save his servant, Sydney might be his only hope – but will their resemblance be enough to save his life? 
 
Gift the best-loved classics to a new generation with Puffin’s stunning Clothbound Classics. Bound in high-quality cloth with dazzling new foil-stamped designs, these coveted and highly collectable hardback editions will be treasured forever. The perfect gift for book lovers and new readers alike. 
 
This is an abridged edition of the classic novel, designed for younger readers.

Charles Dickens was born in 1812. When he was twelve, his father was sent to a debtor's prison and he was sent to work; the experiences from this time always haunted him. After a brief career as a reporter Dickens began writing novels. Published in serial form, his work grew rapidly in popularity, beginning with The Pickwick Papers. 
Today, Charles Dickens is one of the most recognized celebrities of English literature. His many books include Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol.

Adventure awaits in this stunning Puffin Clothbound Classic edition of A Tale of Two Cities, abridged for readers aged 9-12 years. 
 
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’ 
 
Charles Darnay is an exiled French aristocrat, fleeing a Paris torn apart by the French Revolution. Sydney Carlton lives a decadent life in London, where the wealthy waste and the poor starve. The two couldn’t be more different. Except they happen to look alike – and love the same woman. When Charles is captured after returning to Paris to save his servant, Sydney might be his only hope – but will their resemblance be enough to save his life? 
 
Gift the best-loved classics to a new generation with Puffin’s stunning Clothbound Classics. Bound in high-quality cloth with dazzling new foil-stamped designs, these coveted and highly collectable hardback editions will be treasured forever. The perfect gift for book lovers and new readers alike. 
 
This is an abridged edition of the classic novel, designed for younger readers.

Oliver Twist

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child 
Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this charming edition of Oliver Twist. 
 
After Oliver Twist asks nasty Mr Bumble for more food, he has to flee the workhouse for the streets of London. Here he meets the Artful Dodger, who leads him to Fagin and his gang of pickpockets. When a thieving mission goes wrong, Oliver narrowly avoids prison and finds himself in the care of kind Mr Brownlow. But Fagin and the brutal Bill Sikes go in search of the young orphan, determined to drag him back . . . 
 
The classic story of a young boy who seeks his fortune on the streets of London, with an inspirational and light-hearted introduction by popular children's fantasy writer, Garth Nix.

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this charming edition of Oliver Twist. 
 
After Oliver Twist asks nasty Mr Bumble for more food, he has to flee the workhouse for the streets of London. Here he meets the Artful Dodger, who leads him to Fagin and his gang of pickpockets. When a thieving mission goes wrong, Oliver narrowly avoids prison and finds himself in the care of kind Mr Brownlow. But Fagin and the brutal Bill Sikes go in search of the young orphan, determined to drag him back . . . 
 
The classic story of a young boy who seeks his fortune on the streets of London, with an inspirational and light-hearted introduction by popular children's fantasy writer, Garth Nix.

Charles Dickens was born in Hampshire on February 7, 1812. His father was a clerk in the navy pay office, who was well paid but often ended up in financial troubles. When Dickens was twelve years old he was send to work in a shoe polish factory because his family had been taken to the debtors' prison. His career as a writer of fiction started in 1833 when his short stories and essays began to appear in periodicals. The Pickwick Papers, his first commercial success, was published in 1836. The serialisation of Oliver Twist began in 1837. Many other novels followed and The Old Curiosity Shop brought Dickens international fame and he became a celebrity in America as well as Britain. Charles Dickens died on 9 June 1870. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.

A beautiful deluxe gift edition of Dickens's unforgettable novel with foiled covers, marbled endpapers, sprayed edges, beautiful paper and finished with a silk ribbon. 
 
Oliver is an orphan living on the dangerous London streets with no one but himself to rely on. Fleeing from poverty and hardship, he falls in with a criminal street gang who will not let him go, however hard he tries to escape. Dickens graphically conjures up the capital’s underworld, full of sex workers, thieves and lost and homeless children, and gives a voice to the disadvantaged and abused. 
 
This hardback is part of VINTAGE COLLECTOR’S CLASSICS, a series of luxurious books especially crafted for collectors and fans of beautiful special editions. Sumptuous design meets the highest quality production. Discover timeless classics beautifully bound for every bookshelf.

Great Expectations

He's a marvellous writer... He's very, very good

A story of the traumas of sex and class. My favourite moment is the one where Magwitch makes his stumbling way up the shadowy staircase towards an unnerved but unsuspecting Pip: the halting but inexorable rise of the repressed 'from the darkness beneath

The defects in [Great Expectations] are as nearly imperceptible as spots on the sun or shadows on a sunlit sea

I would always prefer to go get another Dickens off the shelf than pick up a new book by someone I've not read yet... I love the tradition of Dickens, where even the most minor walk-on characters are twitching and particular and alive

A beautiful deluxe gift edition of Dickens's irrepressible great novel, the story of Pip, the little boy with great expectations. It comes complete with foiled covers, marbled endpapers, sprayed edges, beautiful paper and finished with a silk ribbon. 
 
Pip's life as an ordinary country boy is destined to be unexceptional until a chain of mysterious events lead him away from his humble origins and up the social ladder. His efforts to become a London gentleman bring him into contact not just with the upper classes but also with dangerous criminals. Pip's desire to improve himself is matched only by his longing for the icy-hearted Estella, but secrets from the past impede his progress and he has many hard lessons to learn. 
 
This hardback is part of VINTAGE COLLECTOR’S CLASSICS, a series of luxurious books especially crafted for collectors and fans of beautiful special editions. Sumptuous design meets the highest quality production. Discover timeless classics beautifully bound for every bookshelf.

A Christmas Carol

A beautiful deluxe gift edition of Dickens's spooky but wonderfully Christmassy tale, complete with foiled covers, marbled endpapers, sprayed edges, beautiful paper and finished with a silk ribbon. 
 
JOIN THE OBSESSION 
'These might be the most beautiful books I've ever seen? Get them in an art gallery' 
'The marbled paper, I could cry' 
'Love love love this collection ' 
'I must have all of them' 
'Our beloved classics with sprayed edges too! They are absolutely STUNNING!' 
 
'Bah! Humbug!' 
 
Mr Scrooge is a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, miserable old man. Nobody stops him in the street to say a cheery hello; nobody would dare ask him for a favour. And I hope you'd never be so foolish as to wish him a 'Merry Christmas'! Scrooge doesn't believe in Christmas, charity, kindness - or ghosts. 
 
But one cold Christmas Eve, Scrooge receives some unusual visitors who show him just how very mistaken he's been... 
 
This hardback is part of VINTAGE COLLECTOR’S CLASSICS, a series of luxurious books especially crafted for collectors and fans of beautiful special editions. Sumptuous design meets the highest quality production. Discover timeless classics beautifully bound for every bookshelf.

Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Devil in the Fog & The Mystery of Edwin Drood

A full-cast historical mystery by award-winning author Leon Garfield, plus his captivating conclusion to The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens 
 
Leon Garfield was the renowned author of more than 30 novels for children and adults. He won numerous awards for his work, including the Carnegie Medal, the Whitbread Award and the inaugural Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. Inspired by Charles Dickens, he set many of his tales in the 18th and 19th century, and became Dickens’ co-author when he wrote an ending to The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which was left unfinished on Dickens’ death. Their joint version was dramatised for radio in 1990, and is included here, together with an adaptation of one of Garfield’s own thrilling adventures. 
 
Devil in the Fog – The oldest child in a family of travelling actors, 14-year-old George Treet lives a happy life with his father and six siblings. The only blot on his happiness is ‘The Stranger’, a shadowy, mysterious figure who arrives twice-yearly, hands Mr Treet a sum of money and disappears. But the Stranger’s final visit leads Mr Treet to reveal a terrible secret: George is the son of a nobleman, and must return to his real family. Reluctantly reunited with his true father, Sir John Dexter, George does his best to settle into his forbidding new home. But danger is waiting in the fog that surrounds the house – and George soon realises that someone is out to kill him... Tim McMullan and Joe Dempsie star in this rip-roaring tale of highwaymen, duels, swirling fogs and escaped convicts. 
 
The Mystery of Edwin Drood – Orphan Edwin Drood is engaged to the beautiful Rosa Bud. But his uncle John Jasper, the choirmaster of Cloisterham Cathedral and a secret opium addict, wants Rosa for himself. Then Neville Landless arrives with his twin sister, Helena, and he too falls in love with Rosa. When Edwin disappears, presumed murdered, both Neville and Jasper have a motive – but which of them is the killer? Dickens’ famously unfinished novel never answers this question, but in this suspenseful drama, starring Ian Holm, Mark Payton and Moir Leslie, Leon Garfield provides an ingenious and satisfying solution. 
 
Devil-in-the-Fog text copyright © 1966 by Leon Garfield 
The Mystery of Edwin Drood text copyright © 1980 by Charles Dickens and Leon Garfield 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Chimes

90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books 
 
Trotty Veck, an elderly porter, has read so many newspaper reports about crime and immorality that he believes the working classes are irredeemable. But, on New Year’s Eve, summoned to the church tower by a mysterious chiming, Trotty witnesses his own death, and is taken on a ghostly journey that will force him to reassess his conviction. One of Dickens’ ‘Christmas stories’, The Chimes is charming and surprising manifesto for empathy for our fellow man.

Trotty Veck, an elderly porter, has read so many newspaper reports about crime and immorality that he believes the working classes are irredeemable. But, on New Year’s Eve, summoned to the church tower by a mysterious chiming, Trotty witnesses his own death, and is taken on a ghostly journey that will force him to reassess his conviction. One of Dickens’ ‘Christmas stories’, The Chimes is charming and surprising manifesto for empathy for our fellow man.

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child 
Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this charming edition A Christmas Carol complete with a bold new cover. 
 
Ebenezer Scrooge was a mean, miserable, bitter old man, until one Christmas Eve changed everything. . .Guided by three ghosts, Scrooge visits his past, present, and what could be to come should he not learn the true meaning behind Christmas. 
 
Will Scrooge learn to love Christmas and everyone around him?

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this charming edition A Christmas Carol complete with a bold new cover. 
 
Ebenezer Scrooge was a mean, miserable, bitter old man, until one Christmas Eve changed everything. . .Guided by three ghosts, Scrooge visits his past, present, and what could be to come should he not learn the true meaning behind Christmas. 
 Will Scrooge learn to love Christmas and everyone around him?

Puffin Classics: the definitive collection of timeless stories, for every child 
Discover our abridged, Puffin Classic edition of Great Expectations, designed for readers aged 9-12 years. 
 
As a small boy at Joe Gargery's forge, Pip meets two people who will affect his whole life - an escaped convict he is forced to help, and the eccentric Miss Haversham, whose beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella young Pip adores. But when a secret benefactor pays for him to go to London to become a gentleman, Pip never dreams he will meet the dreadful Magwitch again, nor just how wrong his expectations are. . . 
 
This is an abridged edition of the classic novel, designed for younger readers.

The Puffin Classics series is a perfect marriage of the old and the new. Enjoy some of the best books from the past and find out why and how they inspired some of the best writers of the present

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this charming edition of Great Expectations, abridged for younger readers. 
 
As a small boy at Joe Gargery's forge, Pip meets two people who will affect his whole life - an escaped convict he is forced to help, and the eccentric Miss Haversham, whose beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella young Pip adores. But when a secret benefactor pays for him to go to London to become a gentleman, Pip never dreams he will meet the dreadful Magwitch again, nor just how wrong his expectations are. . . 
 
This is an abridged edition of the classic novel, designed for readers aged 9-12.

David Copperfield

An Abridged Edition of the Classic Novel - 175th Anniversary Edition

175th Anniversary Edition

Discover our abridged, Puffin Clothbound Classic edition of David Copperfield, designed for readers aged 9-12 years. 
 
Puffin Clothbound Classics are stunning collectable gift editions of some of the best-loved classics in the world - including this irresistible 175th anniversary edition of David Copperfield. 
Of all my books, I like this the best - Charles Dickens 
 
Full of tragedy and comedy in equal measure and based in part on the author's own life, David Copperfield remains one of the most enduring and popular of Dickens' novels. 
 
Among the memorable cast of characters he encounters along the way are his brutal stepfather, Mr Murdstone; bubbly Nurse Peggotty; his brilliant, but unworthy schoolmate Steerforth, his eccentric aunt, Betsy Trotwood, the scheming clerk Uriah Heep, the enchanting Dora and the magnificent Mr Macawber - a character much like Dickens' own father. 
 
This is an abridged edition of the classic novel, designed for younger readers. 
 
Collect our Puffin Clothbound Classics: 
9780241444313 The Little Prince 
9780241663554 The Jungle Book 
9780241568811 Charlotte's Web 
9780241688243 Little Women 
9780241688250 Peter Pan 
9780241688267 The Railway Children 
9780241688236 Chinese Cinderella 
9780241411216 Treasure Island 
9780241411209 The Wizard of Oz 
9780241655702 Watership Down 
9780241663578 The Worst Witch 
9780241663547 David Copperfield 
9780241663561 The Neverending Story 
9780241623909 Stig of the Dump 
9780241623916 The Dark is Rising 
9780241411162 The Secret Garden 
9780241411148 Black Beauty 
9780241411155 Dracula 
9780241425121 Frankenstein 
9780241425138 Wuthering Heights 
9780241425114 Tales from Shakespeare 
9780241425107 Tales of the Greek Heroes 
9780241411193 A Christmas Carol 
9780241621196 Grimms' Fairy Tales 
9780241425145 Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales

Discover our abridged, Puffin Clothbound Classic edition of David Copperfield, designed for readers aged 9-12 years. 
 
Puffin Clothbound Classics are stunning collectable hardback editions of some of the best-loved classics in the world - including this irresistible 175th anniversary edition of David Copperfield. 
 
Of all my books, I like this the best - Charles Dickens 
 
Full of tragedy and comedy in equal measure and based in part on the author's own life, David Copperfield remains one of the most enduring and popular of Dickens' novels. 
 
Among the memorable cast of characters he encounters along the way are his brutal stepfather, Mr Murdstone; bubbly Nurse Peggotty; his brilliant, but unworthy schoolmate Steerforth, his eccentric aunt, Betsy Trotwood, the scheming clerk Uriah Heep, the enchanting Dora and the magnificent Mr Macawber - a character much like Dickens' own father. 
 
This is an abridged edition of the classic novel, designed for younger readers.

Abridged Edition

Penguin Readers Level 6: A Tale of Two Cities (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. 
 
Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 
 
The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. 
 
A Tale of Two Cities, a Level 6 Reader, is B1+ in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future continuous, reported questions, third conditional, was going to and ellipsis. A small number of illustrations support the text. 
 
After eighteen years in the Bastille prison, Dr Manette finally leaves France and goes to live with his daughter, Lucie, in England. There, two very different men fall in love with Lucie. Lucie finds happiness, but in France a storm is coming. Soon, Lucie and her family must face the French Revolution, and one man must give Lucie everything he has. 
 
Visit the Penguin Readers website 
Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
A Tale of Two Cities, a Level 6 Reader, is B1+ in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future continuous, reported questions, third conditional, was going to and ellipsis. A small number of illustrations support the text. 
 
After eighteen years in the Bastille prison, Dr Manette finally leaves France and goes to live with his daughter, Lucie, in England. There, two very different men fall in love with Lucie. Lucie finds happiness, but in France a storm is coming. Soon, Lucie and her family must face the French Revolution, and one man must give Lucie everything he has.

30 Festive Dramas and Stories

A BBC Christmas Collection

A sparkling seasonal anthology of BBC dramas and readings 
 
Christmas is the perfect time to curl up with a good story, and this cracking collection brings you 30 wonderfully diverse tales inspired by this most special of seasons. From Santa Claus, gift-giving and family gatherings, to an unexpected encounter in a snowstorm and an alternative take on the Nativity, they're sure to get you in the festive mood. 
 
Here are modern readings of classics such as Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Tree', Anton Chekhov's 'At Christmas Time', Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Fir Tree', O Henry's 'The Gift of the Magi', Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Christmas Storms and Sunshine' and Leo Tolstoy's 'Papa Panov's Special Christmas'. Alongside them is some superb short fiction by contemporary authors, including Stella Duffy ('South'), Paul McVeigh ('Daddy Christmas'), Laura Barnett ('Survivors'), and nine delightful stories by Alexander McCall Smith. Among the stellar narrators are Don Gilet, Nina Sosanya, Hannah Gordon, Stephanie Cole and Meera Syal. 
 
Interspersed with these are a range of spellbinding plays, including Rachel Joyce's poignant Christmas by the Lake; festive action comedy Lena Marsh, Live and Schticking! by Jeremy Front; a very unusual and very dangerous Santa in The Morpeth Carol by Timothy X Atack; and Robert Hudson and Marie Phillips' epistolary animal tale, Some Hay in a Manger, introduced by Stephen Fry. All feature star casts including Niamh Cusack, Robert Lindsay, Sam Troughton, Clare Corbett, Tamsin Greig and Joel Fry. 
 
Heartwarming and heartfelt, comic and bittersweet, moving and magical, these fantastic, evocative stories are a real Christmas treat. 
 
Note: Chapter metadata updated in January 2023. 
 
Contents 
Christmas by the Lake by Rachel Joyce 
Christmas Short Stories by Alexander McCall Smith: 
· 'Motordrome' 
· 'The Revenge, or Otherwise, of Herbie Bontemps' 
· 'How to Escape in Gaelic' 
· 'The Colourful Life of Cousin Grace' 
· 'Good President Wenceslas' 
The Christmas Present by Ben Crompton 
Christmas Compass: Series 1: 
· 'North' by Malachy Tallack 
· 'South' by Stella Duffy 
· 'East' by Ruth Thomas 
· 'West' by Mike McCormack 
A Time to Dance by Lucy Gannon 
Christmas Compass: Series 2 by Alexander McCall Smith 
· 'Winter Journey' 
· 'In the DRC' 
· 'Primatologist' 
· 'On The Island' 
Midnight at Christmas by Elliott Kerrigan 
'The Fir Tree' by Hans Christian Andersen 
'At Christmas Time'by Anton Chekhov 
'Papa Panov's Special Christmas' by Leo Tolstoy 
Some Hay in a Manger by Robert Hudson and Marie Phillips 
'Daddy Christmas' by Paul McVeigh 
'Christmas Storms and Sunshine'by Elizabeth Gaskell 
The Morpeth Carol by Timothy X Atack 
'Survivors' by Laura Barnett 
Lena Marsh, Live and Shticking!by Jeremy Front 
'A Christmas Tree' by Charles Dickens 
'The Gift of the Magi' by O Henry 
Get Santa by Peter Gibbs 
'Home' by Christine Dwyer Hickey 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A BBC Radio full-cast drama

Ayeesha Menon's reworking of Charles Dickens' iconic story of love, revolution and redemption, updated to modern-day London and war-torn Syria 
 
2011, Syria. The Arab Spring is underway, and after a wave of peaceful protests, President Assad agrees to a release of political prisoners. Freed after 30 years, Dr Mahmoud is taken in by Taghreed and Emad Daffar, and brought to England by his old friend Jarvis Lorry and the daughter he has never met, foreign correspondent Lina. But his years of suffering have left him a broken man. 
 
Back in London, Jarvis convinces his nephew Sid Carton, a feckless but brilliant barrister, to defend a young Syrian émigré doctor, Shwan Dahkurdi, against charges of supporting terrorism. Lina and Shwan fall in love, only for his dark family secret to tear them apart... Meanwhile, convinced that only Lina gives his life meaning, Sid confesses his unrequited love, promising to do anything for her and those she loves. 
 
As the city of Aleppo turns into a battleground, Taghreed becomes increasingly involved with the rebels of the Free Syrian Army. Her desire for justice - and her obsessive thirst for vengeance - will have devastating repercussions... 
 
A powerful portrayal of personal sacrifice set against the turbulent backdrop of political change, Dickens' classic novel is as resonant today as when it was written. The redemption of flawed humanity is at the heart of award-winning writer Ayeesha Menon's riveting reimagining, spanning five years and with a seamlessly shifting perspective between Aleppo and London. Provocative, powerful and moving, this drama won a BBC Drama Audio Award for Best Adaptation, and stars Fatima Adoum, Lara Sawalha, Phil Davis, Khalid Abdalla, Shaun Parkes and Nadim Sawalha. 
 
 
Production credits 
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, adapted for radio by Ayeesha Menon 
Development concept written by Silas Parry 
Produced by Gill Parry 
Directed by Polly Thomas 
Producer for Goldhawk Productions: Emma Hearn 
Executive Producer: John Dryden 
Broadcast Assistant: Jan Shepherd 
Sound design by Eloise Whitmore 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Taghreed - Fatima Adoum 
Lina - Lara Sawalha 
Jarvis - Phil Davis 
Shwan Dahkurdi - Khalid Abdalla 
Sid - Shaun Parkes 
Dr Mahmoud - Nadim Sawalha 
Cameraman/Jerry/Driver - Shiv Grewal 
Emad - Raad Rawi 
Yakub/General- George Georgiou 
Samia - Nathalie Armin 
Syrian Protestor - Ahmed Aziz 
Fadi/Guard/Local Doctor - Ammar Haj Ahmad 
Secretary - Jan Shepard 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 May-3 June 2018 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters and is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. During his life, his works enjoyed unprecedented popularity, and by the twentieth century he was widely seen as a literary genius by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to be widely popular.

Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde & The Turn of the Screw

BBC Classics: Suspense Collection

Unabridged readings of four spine-tingling stories 
 
This suspenseful anthology collects together four gripping tales of gruesome scientific experiments and chilling supernatural events - all read in full by some of the very best voice actors. With over 18 hours of electrifying listening, tracked by chapter, these classic tales will have you on the edge of your seat. 
 
Frankenstein 
Mary Shelley's Gothic masterpiece about young scientist Victor Frankenstein, whose quest to create new life has horrific consequences... Read by Shaun Mason. 
 
A Christmas Carol 
Charles Dickens' timeless classic about a bitter old miser who has a Christmas epiphany when he is visited by four spirits. Read by Sean Baker 
 
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 
Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novella about a doctor who experiments with the duality of human nature - and in doing so creates a monster. Read by Sam Dale. 
 
The Turn of the Screw 
Henry James' terrifying tale of a governess sent to look after two children in a haunted country house. Read by Sam Dale and Clare Corbett. 
 
 
Credits: 
 
Frankenstein 
Read by Shaun Mason 
Produced by Martha Littlehailes 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 24 August 2019 
 
A Christmas Carol 
Read by Sean Baker 
Produced by Anne Bunting 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 22 August 2019 
 
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 
Read by Sam Dale 
Produced by Julian Wilkinson 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 22 August 2019 
 
The Turn of the Screw 
Read by Sam Dale and Clare Corbett 
Produced by Julian Wilkinson 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019 
 
 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Unabridged readings of four spine-tingling stories 
 
This suspenseful anthology collects together four gripping tales of gruesome scientific experiments and chilling supernatural events - all read in full by some of the very best voice actors. With over 18 hours of electrifying listening, tracked by chapter, these classic tales will have you on the edge of your seat. 
 
Frankenstein 
Mary Shelley's Gothic masterpiece about young scientist Victor Frankenstein, whose quest to create new life has horrific consequences... Read by Shaun Mason. 
 
A Christmas Carol 
Charles Dickens' timeless classic about a bitter old miser who has a Christmas epiphany when he is visited by four spirits. Read by Sean Baker 
 
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 
Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novella about a doctor who experiments with the duality of human nature - and in doing so creates a monster. Read by Sam Dale. 
 
The Turn of the Screw 
Henry James' terrifying tale of a governess sent to look after two children in a haunted country house. Read by Sam Dale and Clare Corbett. 
 
 
Credits: 
 
Frankenstein 
Read by Shaun Mason 
Produced by Martha Littlehailes 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 24 August 2019 
 
A Christmas Carol 
Read by Sean Baker 
Produced by Anne Bunting 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 22 August 2019 
 
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 
Read by Sam Dale 
Produced by Julian Wilkinson 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 22 August 2019 
 
The Turn of the Screw 
Read by Sam Dale and Clare Corbett 
Produced by Julian Wilkinson 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019 
 
 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Penguin Readers Level 5: David Copperfield (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. 
 
Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 
 
The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. 
 
Visit the Penguin Readers website 
Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys. 
 
David Copperfield lives happily with his mother and his nurse, Peggotty. Then his mother marries Mr Murdstone, and he and his sister come to live with them. Suddenly everything changes . .

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
David Copperfield, a Level 5 Reader, is B1 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing present perfect continuous, past perfect, reported speech and second conditional. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly. 
 
David Copperfield lives happily with his mother and his nurse, Peggotty. Then his mother marries Mr Murdstone, and he and his sister come to live with them. Suddenly everything changes . .

A BBC Radio 4 comedy drama collection

Sketches by Boz

Slices of 19th-century London life from the pen of Charles Dickens 
 
Here are ten gloriously comic stories from Sketches by Boz, Charles Dickens' earliest collection of short pieces in which he honed his literary genius. Each tale is dramatised by Dr Stephen Wyatt with a full cast. 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Charles Dickens 
Dramatised by Dr Stephen Wyatt 
Directed by Sally Avens 
Starring Nicholas Farrell as Boz 
 
The Tuggses at Ramsgate 
The nouveau riche Tugg family discover that money cannot buy you love. 
 
Cast: Christopher Hancock, Frances Jeater, Colleen Prendergast, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Sean Baker, Tracy-Ann Oberman 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 September 1998 
 
The Bloomsbury Christening 
The arrival of a bouncing baby boy is wonderful news - but not for miserable misanthrope Nicodemus Dumps. 
 
Cast: Alison Reid, Geoffrey Whitehead, Robert Harper, Charlie Simpson, Elaine Pyke 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 September 1998 
 
The Great Winglebury Duel 
Alexander Trott finds it is possible to become betrothed in even the most trying circumstances. 
 
Cast: Peter Gunn, Julia Deakin, David Timson, Kim Wall and David Antrobus 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 September 1998 
 
The Private Theatricals of Mrs Joseph Porter 
A household becomes obsessed with amateur dramatics - with farcical results. 
 
Cast: Geoffrey Whitehead, Frances Jeater, David Antrobus, Jane Holm, Shirley Dixon, Charles Simpson 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 September 1998 
 
Mr Watkins Tottle 
All Mr Tottle wants is to enter the blessed state of matrimony - but the course of true love never did run smooth. 
 
Cast: David Collings, John Hartley, Jenny Howe, Patience Tomlinson, Christopher Scott 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 29 September 1998 
 
Love and Oysters 
Meeting an oyster seller sparks disruption for orderly John Dounce. 
 
Cast: David Calder, Samantha Spiro, Siriol Jenkins, Elizabeth Conboy, David Allister, loan Meredith 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 July 1999 
 
The Steam Excursion 
A boat trip on the Thames proves the undoing of 'paragon of perfection' Percy Noakes. 
 
Cast: Marston Bloom, Shirley Dixon, Joanna Monro, Jeremy Swift, Becky Hindley, Ben Crowe, Stephen Critchlow 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 July 1999 
 
Sentiment 
The Crumpton sisters are delighted when an MP's daughter arrives at their finishing school - until a romantic attachment comes to light. 
 
Cast: Patience Tomlinson, Jane Booker, Gerard Murphy, Tilly Gaunt, Harry Myers, Elizabeth Conboy, Michael Mueller 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 July 1999 
 
The Boarding House 
The respectability of Mrs Tibbs' residential establishment is threatened by a mysterious new lodger. 
 
 
Cast: Imelda Staunton, Annette Badland, Christopher Hancock, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Stephen Critchlow, Peter Gunn, Jason O'Mara 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 July 1999 
 
Horatio Sparkins 
The snobbish Maldertons are thrilled when their unmarried daughter receives the attentions of the gentlemanly Mr Sparkins. But who exactly is he? 
 
Cast: David Haig, Tessa Worsley, Sarah-Jane Holm, Adrian Schiller, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Patrick Barlow 
 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 August 1999

Slices of 19th-century London life from the pen of Charles Dickens 
 
Here are ten gloriously comic stories from Sketches by Boz, Charles Dickens' earliest collection of short pieces in which he honed his literary genius. Each tale is dramatised by Dr Stephen Wyatt with a full cast. 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Charles Dickens 
Dramatised by Dr Stephen Wyatt 
Directed by Sally Avens 
Starring Nicholas Farrell as Boz 
 
The Tuggses at Ramsgate 
The nouveau riche Tugg family discover that money cannot buy you love. 
 
Cast: Christopher Hancock, Frances Jeater, Colleen Prendergast, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Sean Baker, Tracy-Ann Oberman 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 September 1998 
 
The Bloomsbury Christening 
The arrival of a bouncing baby boy is wonderful news - but not for miserable misanthrope Nicodemus Dumps. 
 
Cast: Alison Reid, Geoffrey Whitehead, Robert Harper, Charlie Simpson, Elaine Pyke 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 September 1998 
 
The Great Winglebury Duel 
Alexander Trott finds it is possible to become betrothed in even the most trying circumstances. 
 
Cast: Peter Gunn, Julia Deakin, David Timson, Kim Wall and David Antrobus 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 September 1998 
 
The Private Theatricals of Mrs Joseph Porter 
A household becomes obsessed with amateur dramatics - with farcical results. 
 
Cast: Geoffrey Whitehead, Frances Jeater, David Antrobus, Jane Holm, Shirley Dixon, Charles Simpson 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 September 1998 
 
Mr Watkins Tottle 
All Mr Tottle wants is to enter the blessed state of matrimony - but the course of true love never did run smooth. 
 
Cast: David Collings, John Hartley, Jenny Howe, Patience Tomlinson, Christopher Scott 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 29 September 1998 
 
Love and Oysters 
Meeting an oyster seller sparks disruption for orderly John Dounce. 
 
Cast: David Calder, Samantha Spiro, Siriol Jenkins, Elizabeth Conboy, David Allister, loan Meredith 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 July 1999 
 
The Steam Excursion 
A boat trip on the Thames proves the undoing of 'paragon of perfection' Percy Noakes. 
 
Cast: Marston Bloom, Shirley Dixon, Joanna Monro, Jeremy Swift, Becky Hindley, Ben Crowe, Stephen Critchlow 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 July 1999 
 
Sentiment 
The Crumpton sisters are delighted when an MP's daughter arrives at their finishing school - until a romantic attachment comes to light. 
 
Cast: Patience Tomlinson, Jane Booker, Gerard Murphy, Tilly Gaunt, Harry Myers, Elizabeth Conboy, Michael Mueller 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 July 1999 
 
The Boarding House 
The respectability of Mrs Tibbs' residential establishment is threatened by a mysterious new lodger. 
 
 
Cast: Imelda Staunton, Annette Badland, Christopher Hancock, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Stephen Critchlow, Peter Gunn, Jason O'Mara 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 July 1999 
 
Horatio Sparkins 
The snobbish Maldertons are thrilled when their unmarried daughter receives the attentions of the gentlemanly Mr Sparkins. But who exactly is he? 
 
Cast: David Haig, Tessa Worsley, Sarah-Jane Holm, Adrian Schiller, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Patrick Barlow 
 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 August 1999

A full-cast BBC dramatisation with a brand new ending

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

A thrilling radio re-imagining telling the story of Charles Dickens' last days, and providing a brand new conclusion to his famous unfinished novel 
 
April, 1870. Bone-weary, sick, and struggling with a hidden guilt, Charles Dickens is grappling with what will be his final book - The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Two months later, he is dead, and the novel remains unfinished: only 6 of the 12 planned instalments had been completed. 
 
Centring around the title character, whose sudden disappearance throws the town of Cloisterham into a panic, the story introduces us to a host of potential suspects who could have caused him harm. Edwin's fiancée, Rosa Bud, was having second thoughts about their engagement; his uncle, John Jasper, was known to be jealous of him; and orphan twins Neville and Helena Landless had both tangled with Edwin too. Rumours of murder abound, but his fate is left unanswered... 
 
Set in a phantasmagorical, drug-fuelled landscape where nobody is who or what they claim to be, and motives are more tangled than the alleyways of the nightmare city where the action unfolds, this compelling mystery is one of the greatest puzzles of literature. In this new, fast-moving and impressionistic retelling, we track Dickens as he works on the novel in the weeks before his death, and follow his daughter Kate as she strives to solve the mystery of who killed Drood - and understand the demon that drove her father to fatal exhaustion. 
 
Also included is a bonus documentary, The Mystery of the Mystery of Edwin Drood, in which Frances Fyfield uses her crime-writer's insights to try and find out what really happened to Dickens' eponymous hero. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Charles Dickens 
Adapted by Mike Walker 
Produced and directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
Executive producer: James Robinson 
 
Kate Dickens... Pippa Nixon 
John Jasper... Joel McCormack 
Edwin Drood ... Iwan Davies 
Rosa Bud ... Isabella Inchbald 
Princess Puffer... Rachel Atkins 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 December 2020-1 January 2021 
 
The Mystery of the Mystery of Edwin Drood 
Presented by Frances Fyfield 
With Simon Brett and Professor Jenny Hartley 
Produced by Tom Alban 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 January 2021

A thrilling radio re-imagining telling the story of Charles Dickens' last days, and providing a brand new conclusion to his famous unfinished novel 
 
April, 1870. Bone-weary, sick, and struggling with a hidden guilt, Charles Dickens is grappling with what will be his final book - The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Two months later, he is dead, and the novel remains unfinished: only 6 of the 12 planned instalments had been completed. 
 
Centring around the title character, whose sudden disappearance throws the town of Cloisterham into a panic, the story introduces us to a host of potential suspects who could have caused him harm. Edwin's fiancée, Rosa Bud, was having second thoughts about their engagement; his uncle, John Jasper, was known to be jealous of him; and orphan twins Neville and Helena Landless had both tangled with Edwin too. Rumours of murder abound, but his fate is left unanswered... 
 
Set in a phantasmagorical, drug-fuelled landscape where nobody is who or what they claim to be, and motives are more tangled than the alleyways of the nightmare city where the action unfolds, this compelling mystery is one of the greatest puzzles of literature. In this new, fast-moving and impressionistic retelling, we track Dickens as he works on the novel in the weeks before his death, and follow his daughter Kate as she strives to solve the mystery of who killed Drood - and understand the demon that drove her father to fatal exhaustion. 
 
Also included is a bonus documentary, The Mystery of the Mystery of Edwin Drood, in which Frances Fyfield uses her crime-writer's insights to try and find out what really happened to Dickens' eponymous hero. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Charles Dickens 
Adapted by Mike Walker 
Produced and directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
Executive producer: James Robinson 
 
Kate Dickens... Pippa Nixon 
John Jasper... Joel McCormack 
Edwin Drood ... Iwan Davies 
Rosa Bud ... Isabella Inchbald 
Princess Puffer... Rachel Atkins 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 December 2020-1 January 2021 
 
The Mystery of the Mystery of Edwin Drood 
Presented by Frances Fyfield 
With Simon Brett and Professor Jenny Hartley 
Produced by Tom Alban 
 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 January 2021

Penguin Readers Level 6: Great Expectations (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. 
 
Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 
 
The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. 
 
Visit the Penguin Readers website 
Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys. 
 
When the orphan Pip is taken to the house of Miss Havisham, he meets and falls in love with Estella. Estella is beautiful but cold and Pip decides that he will become rich so that he can marry her. Later he learns that somebody has given him a lot of money, but Pip does not know who this person is.

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Great Expectations, a Level 6 Reader, is B1+ in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future continuous, reported questions, third conditional, was going to and ellipsis. A small number of illustrations support the text. 
 
When the orphan Pip is taken to the house of Miss Havisham, he meets and falls in love with Estella. Estella is beautiful but cold and Pip decides that he will become rich so that he can marry her. Later he learns that somebody has given him a lot of money, but Pip does not know who this person is.

Dickens at Christmas

A selection of the best of Dickens' Christmas stories and writings, in one beautiful hardback edition

Charles Dickens is an indelible part of Yuletide reading

Dickens made Christmas a festival of generosity and moved it away from the unpopular religious festival it had been

[A Christmas Carol is] a story which, perhaps more than any other, sums up the spirit of the British Christmas

Charles Dickens' Christmas stories showed his readers all the magical trappings of the season

Charles Dickens was born in Hampshire on February 7, 1812. His father was a clerk in the navy pay office, who was well paid but often ended up in financial troubles. When Dickens was twelve years old he was send to work in a shoe polish factory because his family had been taken to the debtors' prison. Fagin is named after a boy Dickens disliked at the factory. His career as a writer of fiction started in 1833 when his short stories and essays began to appear in periodicals. The Pickwick Papers, his first commercial success, was published in 1836. In the same year he married the daughter of his friend George Hogarth, Catherine Hogarth. The serialisation of Oliver Twist began in 1837 while The Pickwick Papers was still running. Many other novels followed and The Old Curiosity Shop brought Dickens international fame and he became a celebrity in America as well as Britain. He separated from his wife in 1858. Charles Dickens died on 9 June 1870, leaving his last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Discover this selection of the best of Dickens' Christmas stories and writings in one beautiful gift edition. 
 
The ultimate Christmas present. 
 
It is said that Charles Dickens invented Christmas, and within these pages you'll certainly find all the elements of a quintessential traditional Christmas brought to vivid life: snowy rooftops, gleaming shop windows, steaming bowls of punch, plum puddings like speckled cannon balls, sage and onion stuffing, miracles, magic, charity and goodwill. 
 
This beautifully produced Vintage Classics edition gathers together not only Dickens' Christmas Books ('A Christmas Carol', 'The Chimes', 'The Battle of Life', 'The Cricket on the Hearth' and 'The Haunted Man') but also stories that Dickens wrote for the special seasonal editions of his periodicals All the Year Round and Household Words, and a festive tale from The Pickwick Papers. 
 
A must-have for Christmas, this edition should be as necessary to your festivities as holly, mistletoe and silver bells.

Penguin Readers Level 6: Oliver Twist (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. 
 
Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 
 
The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. 
 
Visit the Penguin Readers website 
Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys. 
 
Oliver Twist's parents are dead and he grows up in the workhouse, where life is very hard. One day Oliver runs away to London. There, he enters a life of crime with the old man Fagin, the Artful Dodger, frightening Bill Sykes and kind-hearted Nancy. How will Oliver live in this dangerous world?

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
Oliver Twist, a Level 6 Reader, is B1+ in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future continuous, reported questions, third conditional, was going to and ellipsis. A small number of illustrations support the text. 
 
Oliver Twist's parents are dead and he grows up in the workhouse, where life is very hard. One day Oliver runs away to London. There, he enters a life of crime with the old man Fagin, the Artful Dodger, frightening Bill Sykes and kind-hearted Nancy. How will Oliver live in this dangerous world?

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