The Secret World of Lewis Carroll 2015 Directed by Clare Beavan

It's a timeless classic of children's literature and the third most-quoted book in English after the Bible and Shakespeare. But what lies behind the extraordinary appeal of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to generations of adults and children alike? To mark the 150th anniversary of its publication, this film explores the life and imagination of its author, the Reverend Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll. Journalist Martha Kearney delves into the biographies of both Carroll himself and of the young girl, Alice Liddell, who inspired his most famous creation. She discusses the book with a range of experts, biographers and distinguished cultural figures - from actor Richard E Grant to children's author Philip Pullman - and explores with them the mystery of how a retiring, buttoned-up and meticulous mathematics don, who spent almost his entire life within the cloistered confines of Christ Church Oxford, was able to capture the world of childhood in such a captivating way.

Production Country United Kingdom
Language English
Spoken Language English
Gneres Documentary , History
Production Companies BBC , Swan Films
Release Date 31 January 2015
59 mins
Cast
Martha Kearney Narrator
David Anley Himself - Forensic Imagery Analyst
Jane Atkinson Herself - Croft Rectory
Peter Atkinson Himself - Croft Rectory
Nicholas Burnett Himself - Photographic Conservation Specialist
Ian Clayton Himself - Ditchling Players
Morton N. Cohen Himself - Author, Lewis Carroll: A Biography
Mark Davies Himself - Local Historian
Robert Douglas-Fairhurst Himself - Author, The Story of Alice
Richard E. Grant Himself - Actor
Hugh Haughton Himself - University of York
Peter Howell Himself - Ditchling Players
Alice Liddell Herself (archive footage)
Caroline Luke Herself - Great Great Grandniece of Lewis Carroll
Philip Pullman Himself - Writer
Will Self Himself - Writer
Nicholas Shrimpton Himself - Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Vanessa Tait Herself - Great Granddaughter of Alice Liddell
Edward Wakeling Himself - Editor, Lewis Carroll's Diaries
Jenny Woolf Herself - Author, The Mystery of Lewis Carroll
Crew
Director
Producer
Executive Producers
Cinematography
Composer
Editor
Camera Operator