Readers from Maidstone have been chosen as national 'champions’ of Charles Dickens, on the 200th anniversary of his birth.

They are members of the Hollingbourne Reading Group, one of 10 such groups nationwide who will take part in a 'readathon’ between February and December.

Audiences will hear them read and review about five of his titles.

Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, and become one of Britain’s greatest novelists of the Victorian period, responsible for some of English literature’s most famous novels and characters.

“We are very grateful to Jeremy Clarke, educational officer at the Guildhall museum for initiating this project,” said Dawn Perry, co-ordinator of the Hollingbourne Reading Group which has 10 members.

“We all come from Hollingbourne and all our readings in this project will take place in Hollingbourne. We feel very excited and privileged.”

The Maidstone group was selected by The Reading Agency, an independent charity which actively encourages people to read more.

Great Expectations is one of the author’s many admired works, written in and set in Kent, by a man who loved living in the county.

Many local places appear recognisably in its pages, including churches at Cooling and Higham, and also Guildhall and Restoration House in Rochester.

Reading to enthralled audiences in Britain and America played a big part in Dickens’ life.

In one year he made a home tour through English counties reading 87 times. He also made reading tours in America before his death on June 9, 1870, aged 58