Who'd be your literary lunch date?

Christmas is almost upon us, so I've put a seasonal question to some of the other authors I know: if you could invite one literary character to your Christmas lunch, who would it be, and why? This is what they said!

Sheena Wilkinson (author of Still Falling, out in February from Little Island): I would love to invite the March sisters but would be worried they would make me give all my food to the Hummels!

Rhian Ivory (author of The Boy who drew the Future, coming in September 2015 from Firefly Press): I'd like to invite Mr Joe Gargery from Great Expectations because he is the loveliest and most honest man I've ever met and would be good company over a meat pie and ale.

Katy Moran (author of The Hidden Princess, which came out in June 2014): I'd really like to meet Jack Kerouac but feel that lunch could end up in all kinds of mess if he turned up. Jane Austen would be good – witty as well as tidy and the whole experience less likely to involve barbiturates.

Eve Ainsworth (author of Seven Days, out in February 2015):  I'd love to invite Tom from Tom's Midnight Garden. I think he might need a good feast.

Susie Day (latest book: Pea's Book of Holidays): Mr Tumnus from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I'd like to know what he's got in all those parcels - and 'always winter and never Christmas' means he's entitled to extra turkey.

Bea Davenport (author of The Serpent House): I'd like to invite the White Witch from Narnia and let her put her side of the story.

Kate Kelly (author of Red Rock): I would invite Dr Watson, ply him with port and persuade him to tell us the bits he missed out when he was writing up his case notes!

Kerry Drewery (author of A Dream of Lights): I'd invite The Cat in the Hat because it'd be utter madness and we'd all have to talk in rhyme all day!

Natasha Ngan (author of The Memory Keepers): This is so much fun! I'd invite Levi from Fangirl, because - huge crush. I want to see all his smiles for myself!

Emma Haughton (author of Now You See Me): I'd invite the Mad Hatter because we could be crazy and annoying together.

Isabel Thomas (check out her many children's books here):  Definitely not The Tiger Who Came For Tea... this Christmas, all the beer in the tap is for me!

Rachel Hamilton: I'd invite Oliver Twist over for Christmas lunch, because then at least I'd have one person there who wouldn't complain about my cooking! (Rachel is the author of The Case of the Exploding Loo which she says had nothing to do with her attempts to cook Christmas dinner...)

Alex Campbell (author of Land): Holden Caulfield to satisfy all my teenage angst that's still hanging on in there...!

Sarah Sky (new book Fashion Assassin out on January 1st 2015): Matilda (Roald Dahl). She'd be good fun and could use her powers of telekinesis to clear the table after lunch.

...and me? I'm re-reading Middlemarch again, so I think I'd probably invite Dorothea Brooke, and over the turkey and roast potatoes I would do my very best to talk her out of marrying Mr. Casaubon! 

Whom would you invite?!