Born to a life of obscurity and dark despair, his genius made him one of the most successful and beloved figures of his time. Internationally famous just months after his first novel was serialized, Charles Dickens was among the world's first literary stars. But success and acclaim could not banish the ghosts of his childhood or keep him from the deep loneliness that haunted him until his death.

Explores the work of British authors, Robert Louis Stevenson, the Brontë sisters, and Thomas Hardy.

Traces the life and literary career of George Orwell, using photographs, archival materials, and views of places associated with his life.

Dickens was known for the cruel and suffering characters he created, who lived in a world of iniquities. His social criticism was especially evident in some of his greatest works including Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, and more.

The documentary uses Graham Greene's own words from his books and recordings, as well as photographs and clips from his many films, to reveal the fascinating life of one of the great writers of the twentieth century. The cast includes John Le Carre, psychologist Kay Jamison, critic David Lodge, Time correspondent Bernard Diederich, former CIA Inspector General Fredrick Hitz, and Greene's daughter Caroline Bourget.

Harry Potter, far from bursting onto the literary scene, grew slowly into the entertainment phenomenon now known worldwide. Similarly, he grew slowly in the mind and life of his creator, author J.K. Rowling. This film examines the sites, sounds, and life-altering events that influenced J.K. Rowling during her life before Harry, but which perhaps had an impact on Harry as well.

Wild heaths, picturesque villages and dramatic coastlines are the backdrop for this intriguing tale celebrating the life and work of the novelist and poet Thomas Hardy. From the cozy thatched cottage of his childhood to the bustling streets of London, this program will take you on a journey of discovery, and give you the opportunity to tread in the footsteps of the great man himself, revealing how an architect's apprentice rose to dizzying heights...

Beautifully filmed in and around Oxford this engaging biopic follows the creator of The Chronicles of Narnia from the tragic death of his mother when he was just nine years old, through his strained relationship with his father, to the nightmare of the trenches of World War I to Oxford University, where friends like J.R.R. Tolkien challenged his unbelief.

This documentary looks at the life and inspiration of the man who wrote the quintessential fantasy series, a quiet English college professor.

John Keats, English poet, was a key advocate of the English Romantic movement during the early nineteenth century. Elaborate word choice and sensual imagery characterize Keats' poetry, including a series of odes, his masterpieces, which remain among the most popular poems in English literature. During his very short life, his work received constant critical attacks from periodicals of the day, but his posthumous influence on poets such as Alfred...