“I admire Charles Dickens, mostly for the texture of his writing and the colourful characters he created. His work gives us, I think, a valuable insight into life in that period of time.”

English singer-songwriter and actor

David Essex is an English singer-songwriter and actor, best known for his chart success in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s. Born in 1947, he became a familiar figure in British popular music and later on screen. From 1973 to 1994, he placed nineteen singles in the UK Top 40 and sixteen albums in the UK Top 40. His biggest international success came with the 1973 single "Rock On", which remains the song most closely associated with him.