In Italy 1881 kids were by turns delighted and terrified by Pinocchio, a serialised story by Carlo Collodi, of the adventures of a wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy. The 1940 Disney animated film adaptation is wonderful. The original literary work remains a brilliant, darker, exploration of what it means to become a good person. 🇮🇹🧒👦 🍷👀

In the 19th century Reverend Spooner of Oxford became famous for his mis-speaking. A unique butcher of the English language he inspired Terry Jones of Monty Python fame to pen a short poem of Spoonerist delight in homage. 🇬🇧🤣

P.G Wodehouse - pronounced wood-house - introduced Bertie Wooster and his genius valet, Jeeves, to the world in the early 20th century. The adventures of the idiot British well-heeled gent and the valet who is the brains of the operation have made the world smile ever since. You can't be sad when reading Wodehouse. 🇬🇧 🍸🍹🍾

In 1823 New Yorker Clement Clarke Moore wrote one of the most famous poems of all time - Twas The Night Before Christmas. That's him. His wondrous poem of Dancer Prancer Donner and Blixem (with an "m" in the original print edition) is beloved the world over at this time of year. But it is great writing at anmy time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all Nudie Reads listeners. You are the best. Thankyou for listening. 🇺🇸

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In 1810 when Edgar Allan Poe was just a year old, German writer Heinrich von Kleist wrote a Poe-like tale that had all the Poe-type elements but not quite the panache of the American. Kleist came before Poe. Still, von Kleist's work is a vital literary building block by a great writer. 🇩🇪 👵🏰🗡🔥👻

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Roald Dahl is most famous for Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, James & The Giant Peach and Matilda. But his short story collection called Tales of the Unexpected is a classic of thriller literature. So good Alfred Hitchcock loved it. 🇬🇧🐑😵🍽✍️

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In 2017 US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts gave a gem of a commencement speech to middle school graduates at a New Hampshire boys' school. His speech was beautifully written and the advice unusual but very wise. 🇺🇸👨‍⚖️👨‍🎓👨‍🎓👨‍🎓👨‍🎓👨‍🎓👨‍🎓

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Moliere is the French Shakespeare, a brilliant playwright, poet and actor of the 17th century. He was beloved by Louis XIV, the Sun King himself, and remains a genius of the French language and of the art of mocking pieties, 400 years after his birth. 🇫🇷🩺🍑🤮✍️💰

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