Dickens, C: A Christmas Carol: Collins Classics

In October 1843, Charles Dickens heavily in debt and obligated to his publisher began work on a book to help supplement his family's meager income. That volume, "A Christmas Carol, "has long since become one of the most beloved stories in the English language. As much a part of the holiday season as holly, mistletoe, and evergreen wreaths, this perennial favorite continues to delight new readers and rekindle thoughts of charity and goodwill.
With its characters exhibiting many qualities as well as failures often ascribed to Dickens himself, the imaginative and entertaining tale relates Ebenezer Scrooge's eerie encounters with a series of spectral visitors. Journeying with them through Christmases past, present, and future, he is ultimately transformed from an arrogant, obstinate, and insensitive miser to a generous, warmhearted, and caring human being. Written by one of England's greatest and most popular novelists, "A Christmas Carol" has come to epitomize the true meaning of Christmas."

David Zane Mairowitz is an author, playwright, radio director and translator. A professional freelance writer for 40 years, he has published numerous books, including the successful Introducing Kafka (with Robert Crumb), Introducing Camus, and Wilhelm Reich for Beginners. His theatrical plays include a critically acclaimed version of Kafka's The Trial. His articles have appeared in Harper's, Vogue, Plays and Players, The Village Voice, The Progressive and The Sunday Times. His short stories have appeared in literary magazines, including Partisan Review, New Directions and the prestigious Penguin Modern Stories. For the past 25 years he has produced radio dramas and documentaries for the BBC and in over 20 European countries, winning numerous international radio prizes. // Ryuta Osada is a Japanese-born manga artist who lives in London and Tokyo. He has a background not in only in manga art, but also in teaching. Educated in Japan, Ryuta read History at Nihon University before gaining qualifications to teach History and Sociology. After moving to England in 1994 to study English language, he took an Art Foundation diploma and followed that with an honours degree in Graphic Design at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design. In 2006 he joined the prestigious Central St. Martins' Graphic Design and Illustration course. His recent publications include Creating Manga from Design to Page (Crowood). For SelfMadeHero, Ryuta has illustrated Othello and A Tale of Two Cities.