During her visit to Portsmouth, Gillian was interviewed on 106 JACK FM.

“A lot of people don’t realise Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth. A statue here would encourage more interest.

Reading expands the imagination more than watching TV or playing video games. Fairytales guide children into scary places to show that monsters could be tackled, won over and you can survive.

Literature can do the same thing. Not just in education but in terms of character, exposing children to how others live and cope with loss, love and life.

The statue itself positions Charles Dickens, sat on a chair surrounded by books, as approachable and very much in keeping as his role as an advocate for social change.

My hope is those with an interest in literature and expanding literacy will be interested and potentially make a donation of whatever size towards the statue.

I was surprised that although there are statues in America and Australia, there isn’t one here. It’s a way of celebrating his life.”

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