The novels of Charles Dickens, the Bronte Sisters, the plays of Samuel Beckett washed down with the poetry of Shelley were my teachers.

BBC: A Hamster ate my Granny!

Many also admit to wrongly claiming to have read the classics, including authors Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Herman Melville.

BBC: Poll reveals UK's reading secrets

He said the "Hardy country" brand was boosting tourism in the same way Bath and West Yorkshire benefited from connections with Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters.

BBC: Thomas Hardy enthusiasts converge on Dorchester