William Dorrit, imprisoned as a debtor, has been a resident of Marshalsea debtors' prison for so long that his three children – snobbish Fanny, idle Edward and Amy (known as Little Dorrit) — have all grown up there, and Amy was born there. Their mother is dead and Little Dorrit, devoted to her father, supports them both through her sewing.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His famous works include A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities.