New insights into Charles Dickens' characters

That Charles Dickens' books have never been out of print is a testament to their popularity over time.

Dickens' drew on real life to tell stories about the British underclass and comment on the times in which he lived in.

This has given Dickens his enduring appeal - he exposed the universal truths of life that are still relevant today as they were when he was born 200 years ago this month.

Now a new book, 'Dickens and the Workhouse', by Dr Ruth Richardson, reveals that many characters in his books were based on real people who lived in Dickens' own neighbourhood.