Dickens not only had a significant influence on the creation of cinematic language, but also profoundly shaped the development of popular genres, particularly those of crime and detective fiction. In his second illustrated talk, Adrian Wootton investigates Dickens’ own fascination with crime — including his reporting and commentaries on criminal law, penal reform, and the development of modern policing — and his incorporation of the detective genre into his work, which led him to a collaboration with Wilkie Collins, the "Father of the Detective Novel." The talk will also examine how filmmakers have treated the crime elements in Dickens’ work, and how his novels contributed to the evolution of the modern crime thriller and film noir.