To coincide with the opening of the Dickens and London exhibition, the Museum of London has launched a new iPhone and iPad app which takes users on a journey through the darker side of Charles Dickens’ London.

Beautifully imagined by renowned illustrator David Foldvari, this interactive graphic novel follows Dickens on his night walks of London – the city he called his ‘magic lantern’ – where, as an insomniac, he roamed the streets gathering inspiration from the people and places he observed.

Accompanying audio, narrated by actor Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Solder Spy, Kick-Ass, Sherlock Holmes), gives voice to Dickens as passages from his works provide vivid descriptions of the Victorian capital. Bonus material featuring illustrated excerpts of some of Dickens’ most famous novels – from Bleak House to Oliver Twist – also brings to life the 19th century city that Dickens used as his muse and the backdrop for many of his greatest works.

Drawn from a selection of his short stories featured in Sketches By Boz, Dickens: Dark London will be published monthly throughout the run of the exhibition to echo how Dickens himself released his writings. All editions of the app are brought together on an 1862 map of London, overlaid with modern satellite images of the capital, allowing you to compare the city that Dickens knew with the London of today.

The first edition of Dickens: Dark London is available free of charge from iTunes. Each subsequent edition will be available to download monthly for £1.49.