Charles Dickens was the literary superstar who singlehandedly set the bar for popular fiction in the mid to late nineteenth century. As a result of his fame, Dickens was also in great demand as a speaker. This collection brings together dozens of the author's lectures and talks on topics ranging from the literature of the day to the toughest social issues.

Irish author James Joyce is best remembered as one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century. His masterwork Ulysses is regarded by some critics as the best novel ever written. However, Joyce also dabbled in other genres, and poetry, according to some accounts, was his first literary love. Chamber Music was Joyce's first full-length collection of verse; the compilation includes a number of his best early poems.