Charles Dickens was born in 1812 and became the most popular novelist of the Victorian era.

A prolific writer, he published more than a dozen novels in his lifetime, including Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and Hard Times, most of which have been adapted many times over for radio, stage and screen.

Dr. Arthur Pober has spent more than 20 years in the fields of early childhood and gifted education. He is the former principal of one of the world's oldest laboratory schools for gifted youngsters, Hunter College Elementary School, and former Director of Magnet Schools for the Gifted and Talented in New York City.

Arthur is currently the US representative to the European Institute for the Media and European Advertising Standards Alliance. He lives in New York, NY.

Illustrator Scott McKowen has created award-winning posters and graphics for theater companies across Canada and the United States including on Broadway.

His work has been exhibited in art galleries on both sides of the border, and in 2002 he curated an exhibition of theater posters from around the world that appeared in Stratford, Ontario, and Ottawa and at the Design Exchange in Toronto.

Scott was also commissioned by the Royal Canadian Mint to design Canada's 2001 silver dollar. Scott lives in Stratford, Ontario.