As Christmastime approaches, few novelists come to mind as readily as Charles Dickens. This owes mainly, of course, to A Christmas Carol, and even more so to its many adaptations, most of which draw i...

Scholar of Charles Dickens who wrote a definitive biography and shone a light on the writer’s more neglected works

Can we still appreciate great novels when we know their author behaved despicably?

Once upon a grimy time, long before recycling was a moral obligation and waste disposal was a streamlined municipal affair, London’s refuse had its own peculiar ecosystem—one that was as lucrative as it was filthy. The infamous dustheaps of London, those towering mountains of discarded soot, cinders, bones, and broken pottery, were not merely festering eyesores but also thriving centres of industry, trade, and social mobility.

In the muck-strewn maze of 18th and 19th-century London, where horse-drawn carriages ruled and street sanitation barely existed, one group of individuals stood ready with broom in hand: the crossing sweepers. Armed with nothing more than brushes, persistence, and a good dose of cheek, these resourceful workers offered pedestrians a way to navigate the city without the indignity of muddy boots or worse—an unfortunate encounter with a pile of horse manure.

YouTube video by Charles Dickens Museum

A new exhibition opening today at the London home of Charles Dickens brings together the women he knew and the literary characters they inspired him to create.

Novels only ‘reinforced Victorian stereotypes’ of meek women to give readers what they wanted, says curator

This talk is free to attend. There is a lot of demand for this talk, so please only book an onsite ticket if you are sure you can attend. Wednesday 18th March at 2pm (UK time).  Book IN-PERSON tickets...

A festive mission across London.

The Digital Dickens Notes Project is an exploration of Charles Dickens's Working Notes