Little Dorrit

Little Dorrit

Summary

A new star-studded adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic Little Dorrit for BBC1 starts this November.

The 15-part serial was adapted by highly acclaimed writer Andrew Davies, also responsible for the very successful Bleak House (2005) and Sense and Sensibility (2008). This is the official TV tie-in edition to the serial, including an exclusive introduction by Andrew Davies about his experience of adapting Little Dorrit for TV.

William Dorrit is a long-term inmate in the debtors' prison, Marshalsea. He must stay there until his fortune improves and his debt is paid. For her entire life so far, his daughter Amy has faithfully nursed him in jail. Trying to keep herself out of debt she works as a seamstress for the stern Mrs Clennam. When Mrs Clennam's son, Arthur, returns home from years abroad working for the family business, Amy's life begins to change. As some shocking truths emerge, and as the fortunes of the Dorrits and the Clennams rise and fall by equally dramatic means, it is clear that no one is safe from Marshalsea.

About the author

Charles Dickens

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.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more