To coincide with the opening of the Dickens and London exhibition, the Museum of London and creative agency Brothers and Sisters are launching a new iPhone and iPad app, which will take users on a journey through the darker side of Charles Dickens’ London.
Accompanying audio for the app will be narrated by Tinker Tailor Solder Spy actor Mark Strong. Mark said: “It is fascinating to discover quite how brutal some of Dickens’ descriptions of London actually were. Usually we associate his writing with vivid caricature and lively character comedy, but to delve into the world of his darker observations is to be taken on a compelling journey through the seamier side of Victorian London. If you thought you knew Charles Dickens…think again.”
Beautifully imagined by renowned illustrator David Foldvari, this graphic novel app will follow Dickens on his night walks of London – the city he called his ‘magic lantern’ and his muse. As an insomniac, Dickens roamed the city streets gathering inspiration from the people and places he observed.
Alex Werner, Curator of Dickens and London at the Museum of London, said: “Dickens observed and described London in an exceptional way. He takes us into the dark corners of the city. This app is a new take on Dickens, marrying the inky graphic novel style of illustration with the author’s lively voice. As G K Chesterton wrote ‘Dickens had the keys to the street’. This new app is a 21st century key that will open the door onto dark London.”
Dickens: Dark London will be published monthly throughout the run of the exhibition to echo how Dickens himself released his writings. The first edition of Dickens: Dark London will be available free of charge from 9 December 2011. Each subsequent edition will be available to download monthly for £1.49 on iTunes.
