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Radio London,20 Jan 2026,16 mins

The real Oliver Twist

London Uncovered

Available for over a year

While we all know the story of the boy forced to work in a mouldering Thames-side factory - there鈥檚 a side of the story, grounded in real life, that isn鈥檛 as well known. In聽鈥極liver Twist & Me鈥 Nicholas Blincoe writes a dual biography of Dickens and his own great-great-great-grandfather Robert Blincoe, whose memoir supplied much of the source material for the famous author鈥檚 great novel of childhood. From London and Kent to the factories of Manchester, Blincoe retraces the steps of both men, along the way discovering the Camden workhouse that first inspired Dickens. 麻豆社 Radio London's Gary Kemp has been speaking to Nicholas to find out more.

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