“My dearest one" Benedict Cumberbatch reads Chris Barker’s letter to Bessie Moore

Letter taken from My Dear Bessie (Chris Barker & Bessie Moore), edited and introduced by Simon Garfield (Canongate) Benedict Cumberbatch reads the letter for LETTERS LIVE. LETTERS LIVE is a series of curated, live events that celebrates the enduring power of literacy correspondence. ___ Benedict Cumberbatch reads Chris Barker’s love letter to Bessie Moore (29 January 1945) In September 1943, Chris Barker was serving as a signalman in North Africa when he decided to brighten the long days of war by writing to old friends. One of these was Bessie Moore, a former work colleague. The unexpected warmth of Bessie’s reply changed their lives forever. Crossing continents and years, their funny, affectionate and intensely personal letters are a remarkable portrait of a love played out against the backdrop of the Second World War. Above all, their story is a stirring example of the power of lette