‘S Dickens, innit

He began by turning Shakespeare into txt spk. Now it’s Dickens for da yoof of today.

Martin Baum, a father from Bournemouth, has rewritten Dickens in ‘yoof-speak’ in order – he claims – to get children interested in reading. ‘Kids today have invented their own language,’ says Baum.   ‘And I use this language to try and engage them.’

Judge his alleged mission as you will, while you contemplate his opening to Da Tale of Two Turfs: ‘It was da best of times and, not being funny or nuffing, but it was da worst of times, to be honest …’