大象传媒

Mariella Frostrup continues Open Book's celebration of funny books with writer and comedian Jo Brand, whose choice for Open Book's Funniest Book is "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 and Three Quarters" by Sue Townsend which was first published in 1982. Selling millions of copies world wide a further seven novels featuring Adrian Mole have been published in the intervening 30 years with titles such as "Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years" and "Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction".

In Open Book's Mini History of Comic Writing Professor of Literature at UCL, John Mullan, is joined by former politician, writer and Dickens fan Roy Hattersley to discuss the genius of Dickens comedy as immortalised through such comic creations as Mrs Gamp, Uriah Heep and Mr Squeers. How much of Dickens's humour is derived through the character's use of speech, and how much through grotesque, exaggerated description so beloved by his readers - and where can we see his influence on contemporary comic novelists?

And novelists as critics - how carefully do writers have to proceed when reviewing the work of fellow writers? DJ Taylor - Booker-nominated for his novel Derby Day - discusses the potential embarrassment of the literary hatchet job with fellow writer Lev Grossman, chief book reviewer for Time Magazine.

Producer Hilary Dunn.