Lucinda Hawksley

My article for The Guardian, on Charles Dickens and the women in his life.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/06/charles-dickens-and-the-women-who-made-him

In December, we had another successful Dickens festival in the pretty Yorkshire town of Malton  – where Charles Dickens’ younger brother, Alfred, lived. This photo is from our Saturday night panel at the Milton Rooms, on stage with Professor John Bowen (York University) and the brilliant Miriam Margolyes, both of whom gave superb performances. The festival raises money for the children’s charity Dickens’ Gift to Yorkshire.

Download my walking tour of London in the footsteps of Charles Dickens

https://voicemap.me/tour/london/charles-dickens-from-furnival-s-inn-to-doughty-street

An amazing review of Bitten By Witch Fever on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row. It starts just after minute 15.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08558np

My new book for Thames & Hudson, Bitten By Witch Fever, was chosen by the Huffington Post as one of their eight best history titles of 2016. It traces the story of arsenic in the Victorian home, a poison which was used widely to create vibrant colours for wallpaper, furnishing textiles, clothes and even food – as well as becoming increasing notorious as a murder weapon.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amy-licence/history-book-by-women-eig_b_13864956.html?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003

Listen to my podcast for Guardian Books, talking about arsenic in the Victorian home and my latest book, Bitten By Witch Fever, with Claire Armitstead. It starts at minute 3.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2016/dec/23/ruth-padel-and-lucinda-hawksley-books-podcast?CMP=share_btn_fb

I was invited onto BBC Berkshire on New Year’s Day, to talk about my new book “Bitten By Witch Fever” (Thames & Hudson), my interview starts at 1 hour 13 minutes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04ldm2t#play

My article on Dickens festivals around the world was published by BBC Culture. This December, I shall be back on Galveston Island, Texas, for the 8th year in a row, to attend the Dickens on the Strand festival. Come and say hello if you’ll be there too. http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20141216-why-the-world-loves-dickens?

Tickets are now on sale for my talk on Charles Dickens and his Circle at the Isle of Wight literary festival next month. I’ll be speaking at 4.45pm on Saturday 15 October. http://isleofwightliteraryfestival.com/speaker/lucinda-hawksley/

As my next book will be coming out just before Hallowe’en, it seems suitable that it has the title of Bitten By Witch Fever. It’s about arsenic in the Victorian home, focusing especially on wallpaper. There are many gorgeous wallpapers reproduced in the book, all of which are from the National Archives at Kew – and they were all tested for the presence of arsenic as part of the project….

One of the most random moments in my life so far was being in a bar in Sri Lanka when my phone went crazy with producers from the BBC trying to contact me. They wanted to tell me the groundbreaking news that Nigel Farage had grown a moustache and to interview me in my capacity as author of Moustaches, Whiskers & Beards (published by the National Portrait Gallery). This is the resultant interview, which is on at minute 26, it’ll be available to listen to until 12 September. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07mvycv Sadly my comments about what my advice would be to Nigel Farage (which had nothing to do with his moustache) weren’t included.

I’m very excited to be taking part in the Ways With Words literature festival at Dartington Hall, in Devon. I’ll be speaking about my new book Charles Dickens and his Circle at 1.30pm on Weds 13 July 2016. You can book tickets here via their website:

http://www.wayswithwords.co.uk/festivals/ways-with-words-festival-of-words-and-ideas-at-dartington-hall-24/events/dickens–co-1793

I’m really looking forward to returning to the Hexham Book Festival. I’ll be speaking about my latest book, Charles Dickens and his Circle on the evening of Tues 3 May. More details here:

http://hexhambookfestival.co.uk/programme/lucinda-hawksley-charles-dickens-and-his-circle/

If you’re in Philadelphia this Saturday (30 April), apply now for free tickets to my author talk on Queen Victoria’s Mysterious Daughter at the Free Library (which is also renowned as the home of Grip, Charles Dickens’s pet raven, who the author had stuffed after his sad demise).

https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/57176

Books will be being sold afterwards by The Spiral Bookcase (http://thespiralbookcase.com).

Thank you to everyone at the Hudson Library and Historical Centre for a great evening on Tuesday – and thanks as well to the Learned Owl bookshop, for supporting the event and selling books.

I was thrilled to be invited onto the Robert Elms Show on BBC London radio as a Listed Londoner, the interview is online here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03lslkh

Today I was interviewed by the lovely Lynn Parsons for BBC Berkshire, about my latest book, Charles Dickens and his Circle (my segment starts at 2.08).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03lx806

On Weds 21 March, I’ll be giving a talk on “Strong Women” (inspired by the research for my book March, Women, March) at the Maggie’s Cancer Centre at Charing Cross Hospital, London W6. Tickets and more information on how you can support Maggie’s can be found here:

https://www.maggiescentres.org/how-you-can-help/take-part/all-events/celebration-women-support-maggies/

All proceeds from the evening are going directly to Maggie’s. Please spread the word, thank you.

At 11am on 4 March 2016, I’ll be one of Mary Beard’s interviewees in the documentary “Glad to be Grey”, on BBC Radio 4.

http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/d2cffg/glad-to-be-grey

I was interviewed about the history of Victorian beard dyeing, as the author of the book Moustaches, Whiskers & Beards rather than as a pogonophobe….

http://www.npg.org.uk/business/publications/moustacheswhiskers-beards.php

To celebrate the launch of my new book, Charles Dickens and his Circle, I shall be leading a guided walk around Dickens’s London, starting at 2pm on Weds 16 March, at Chancery Lane station. Tickets are available to buy in advance (please follow the link below), or feel free to email me (info@lucindahawksley.com) and reserve a place.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/walking-with-dickens-tickets-20888861146

On the evening of Weds 16 March, I’ll be talking about my new book, Charles Dickens and his Circle, at the Charles Dickens Museum, 48 Doughty Street, London. Tickets are now on sale (& must be booked in advance).

http://dickensmuseum.com/blogs/all-events/89994054-an-exclusive-evening-with-lucinda-dickens-hawksley

Attendees will also have the exclusive chance to see around the museum at night.

On the evening of Thurs 10 March, I’ll be launching my new book, Charles Dickens and his Circle, with a lecture and book signing at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Tickets must be booked in advance.

http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/late-shift-1/lecture-10032016.php

On the evening of Wednesday 9 December, I’ll be talking about Princess Louise & signing copies of Queen Victoria’s Mysterious Daughter at Booktowne in Manasquan, New Jersey.

http://www.booktowne.com

Please spread the word and please come along if you’re based in Philadelphia, New Jersey or New York.

On Weds 2 December (5pm-7pm) I’ll be talking about Princess Louise and signing copies of Queen Victoria’s Mysterious Daughter at the River Oaks Bookstore in Houston, TX.

http://www.riveroaksbookstore.com/cal-01.htm

http://www.npg.org.uk/business/publications/charles-dickens-and-his-circle.php

I’m thrilled to be joining fellow Dickensians Miriam Margolyes (who needs no introduction!) and Professor Michael Slater at the new Dickens & Christmas festival in Malton, Yorkshire, this December. I’ll be speaking at the Talbot Hotel on the afternoon of Saturday 19 December. Tickets are available now.

http://m.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/13847435.Harry_Potter_star_headlines_new_Dickens_festival/

My biography of the sculptor Princess Louise is being published in North America this December, by St Martin’s Press in New York City:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-250-05932-1

I will be in NYC for a couple of days in December, so please get in touch if you would like to arrange an interview.

Thank you to the staff of Conrad St James hotel in London for a perfect purple, white & green evening. I spoke about March, Women, March and the film Suffragette with Dr Helen Pankhurst (great granddaughter of Emmeline and Richard Pankhurst and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst), in the hotel’s aptly named Emmeline room. The ticket price included a donation to the charity Helen works for, Care International.

http://www.careinternational.org.uk

If you were in the audience, thank you, as you were a great audience to talk to – and you came up with fascinating questions.

My latest book The Victorian Treasury is coming out with Carlton Books on 8 October and is available now to pre-order:

http://prionbooks.co.uk/books/products/a-victorian-treasury-out-08-slash-10-slash-2015

On 16 September I’m doing a talk on Lizzie Siddal, for the UK Friends of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, at the Cafe Royal in Piccadilly, London, tickets are available here:

http://www.ukfriendsofnmwa.org/event/salon-series-lucinda-hawksley-on-women-pre-raphaelites/

On 28 April I will be talking about Charles Dickens’s travels in Italy at the Keats-Shelley House in Rome. Many people aren’t aware that Dickens and his family lived in Italy for a year, residing in Genoa, and that he travelled widely around the country researching his second travelogue, Pictures from Italy.

http://www.keats-shelley.co.uk/events/events

At 7pm on 11 February, I’ll be talking about John Singer Sargent at Bristol Art Gallery. Tickets are just £3. More info here:

http://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery/whats-on/john-singer-sargent-life-lived-canvas/

I’ll be talking about March, Women, March in Winchester on the evening of Friday 13 February:

http://www.winchester.gov.uk/events/details/11854

On Tuesday 28 April, I’ll be in Rome to give a talk at the Keats-Shelley House, more info to follow soon:

http://www.keats-shelley-house.org

My latest article for BBC Culture on the fascination with Charles Dickens all over the world:

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20141216-why-the-world-loves-dickens

My first interview since the publication of Moustaches, Whiskers & Beards:

http://www.beardrevered.com/interviews/what-the-dickens-moustaches-whiskers-beards/

My upcoming book is my first title for National Portrait Gallery publications. It looks at the history of facial hair from cave men to Conchita Wurst and uses some of the gallery’s best, worst and most hilarious examples of facial hair in portraits (not only of men, there are also a couple of women within its pages). The book is coming out on 20 October and you can find out more here:

http://www.npg.org.uk/business/publications/moustacheswhiskers-beards.php

My episode of Secrets From The Clink is on ITV Player (I’m in the later sections of Michelle Collins’ story about debtors’ prisons):

https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/secrets-from-the-clink/series-1/episode-2

The beautiful paperback edition of The Mystery of Princess Louise is now available to pre-order.
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/lucinda+hawksley/the+mystery+of+princess+louise/10427142/

On the morning of 22 October 2014, I’ll be doing a fundraising talk about The Mystery of Princess Louise, in aid of Parkinson’s UK at the Cadogan Hall in Chelsea, London.

On the evening of 22 October 2014 I’ll be speaking about Pre-Raphaelite Women at the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow. Tickets will be available from the gallery nearer the time.

I’m very pleased to have been asked to give a fundraising speech for an inspirational new charity, Spark Inside:

http://www.sparkinside.org

The talk will be on Dickens and Prisons and will take place on 3 November. More information to follow.

Off to the Wisbech Festival today to talk about The Mystery of Princess Louise.

http://wisbechartsfestival.org.uk/talks/talk-the-mystery-of-princess-louise/

Come along to the Wisbech Arts Festival next week. I’ll be speaking about Princess Louise’s friendship with Octavia Hill at 2pm on Thurs 15 May. Follow the link and the eagle-eyed amongst you will notice they have spelt my name incorrectly…

http://wisbechartsfestival.org.uk/talks/talk-the-mystery-of-princess-louise/

Tickets are now available from The Ruskin Society for my talk on 12 May on Ruskin, Dickens & the Pre-Raphaelites. It’s at 7pm at the Artworkers’ Guild in Queen Square, London.

http://www.theruskinsociety.com/Events/2014-05-12_Flyer.pdf

I was thrilled to be asked to deliver the inaugural lecture for Chwarae Teg at Cardiff University this week, here are some pictures of what was a great evening: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65772356@N06/sets/72157642335439763/

Thank you to Chwarae Teg and GRO Cardiff for inviting me and to the audience for being so enthusiastic.

My biography of the sculptor Princess Louise is “Book of the Month” in the latest edition of Majesty magazine. It is described as: “Spirited and lively, The Mystery of Princess Louise is richly packed with arguments, intrigues, scandals and secrets, and is a vivid portrait of a princess desperate to escape her inheritance”.

Princess Louise merits eight pages in the latest edition of Royalty magazine! Jonathan Taylor’s great review ends with the words: “With royal biography the reviewer’s task can sometimes be a disappointing one, faced with little more than the updated retelling or, worse still, hagiography. The Mystery of Princess Louise stands out as a bold and insightful portrait of a remarkable woman.”

My talk about the language and images of propaganda in the First World War (delivered for the British Council and the English Speaking Union) is available to watch on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWPq8bgezt22yCpewJYizVHmjbOS46MpC 

Rachel Crossley in The Observer writes of my biography of Princess Louise: “I was … far too caught up with this improbable princess, a beautiful, charming woman who loved to bicycle and to smoke, who was always happy to share her recipe for oyster path and who holidayed, at the end of her life, in Sidmouth, where she enjoyed the table d’hote at the exclusive Fortfield hotel.”

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/29/mystery-of-princess-louise-review

I was thrilled that The Times made The Mystery of Princess Louise their Book of the Week last week and this week she’s their Critic’s Choice. Thank you! Find out more here:
http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/the-mystery-of-princess-louise-queen-victorias-rebellious-daughter/9780701183493

The first newspaper to write about my new book, The Mystery of Princess Louise, was The Daily Mail, under the following headline: “Queen Victoria’s ravishing daughter, a secret love and a sex scandal the Royal Family’s STILL trying to cover up”.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2508123/The-Mystery-Princess-Louise-Queen-Victorias-daughter-secret-love-Royal-sex-scandal.html#ixzz2m18FnLlN

I really enjoyed the new play about Lizzie Siddal, by Jeremy Green at the Arcola Theatre, the cast is excellent. If you want to know more, here’s an article from the Daily Express:

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/444879/Art-review-Tragic-life-of-the-first-supermodel?

My biography, Lizzie Siddal, The Tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel, which inspired Jeremy’s play, is now out in paperback.

On Monday morning I was asked onto The Today Programme to talk about why I was denied access to Princess Louise’s files in the Royal Archives while working on my book The Mystery of Princess Louise, you can listen to part of the interview here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25085356

Christopher Hastings from The Daily Mail called to ask me about my opinion of the new Ralph Fiennes film, The Invisible Woman (based on Claire Tomalin’s excellent biography of Ellen Ternan):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2512536/The-truth-Dickenss-young-lover-family-Great-great-great-granddaughter-says-new-film-showing-affair-novelist-young-actress-based-fact.html

An article on my book The Mystery of Princess Louise, in the Daily Telegraph: “Queen Victoria’s rebellious sixth daughter Princess Louise had an illegitimate child with her brother’s tutor, a leading biographer has claimed” by Alice Philipson:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/10472477/Queen-Victorias-daughter-Princess-Louise-had-illegitimate-son-with-brothers-tutor.html

The story of Princess Louise’s illegitimate son has made it to the US media, here’s an article from The Daily Beast.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/28/queen-victoria-s-illegitimate-grandchild.html

Don’t miss the Arcola Theatre in London’s production of a new play about Lizzie Siddal (written by Jeremy Green and based on my biography), which runs 20th November-21st December. I will be giving a post-show talk about Lizzie on 17th December.

http://www.arcolatheatre.com/production/arcola/lizzie-siddal

The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victoria’s Rebellious Daughter is being published on Thursday 21 November, you can read all about it in today’s Daily Mail (and order it for a discount price):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2508123/Queen-Victorias-ravishing-daughter-secret-love-sex-scandal-Royal-Familys-STILL-trying-cover-up.html

My author photo was taken by the extremely talented photographer John Quintero. As part of the photo session, we decided to emulate John Everett Millais’ painting Portrait of Mrs Perugini (1874-80). The portrait is of the artist Katey Perugini (née Dickens) as a wedding present for her second husband, Carlo Perugini. Katey is the subject of my second biography. To find out more about John Quintero, take a look at his impressive website:

http://blog.johnquintero.com/?p=448

My latest book, The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victoria’s Rebellious Daughter is being published by Chatto on 21 November. It is available for pre-order and I am taking bookings for talks and festivals.

You can see more about the book (and pre-order) here: http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/the-mystery-of-princess-louise-queen-victorias-rebellious-daughter/9780701183493

I’m looking forward to speaking at several festivals this month: I’ll be at the Havant Literary Festival (Sunday 6th October), the Wantage [not Just] Betjeman Festival (Thursday 24th October) and the inaugural Harrogate History Festival (26th October).

I’m looking forward to talking about March, Women, March at Amersham Library at 6.30pm on Saturday 5 October. You can reserve tickets in advance on 0845 230 3232, or if there are any left you can buy one at the door.

My new book, March, Women, March is published today by Andre Deutsch: http://www.prionbooks.co.uk/books/products/March-Women-March

Apologies for any confusion over Amazon and Waterstones showing the incorrect book (with a different title!) on their websites. If you order from them, you will receive the correct book despite the erroneous image.

I will be speaking about my new book, March, Women, March, on Saturday 15 June at 12pm. For more information and to book tickets, please go to the University of Warwick’s festival website:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/ias/bookfestival/authorpage/#LH

I’m really honoured to have been asked by Ruth Richardson (author of the excellent Dickens and the Workhouse) to unveil a new blue plaque to Charles Dickens. The unveiling will take place on the afternoon of Saturday 8 June, more details below:
http://www.dickensfellowship.org/Events/new-blue-plaque-be-unveiled-dickens-london

This summer, the Dickens Museum in Broadstairs is celebrating its 40th birthday. I’ll be speaking on the evening of Sunday 16 June; in the afternoon there will also be a garden party at the museum. It’s all part of the Broadstairs Dickens Festival:

http://www.broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk

Tickets are now on sale for my event at the Hay Festival at 4pm on Friday 31 May. I will be talking about my new book, March, Women, March: Voices from the Women’s Movement.

My new book, March, Women, March: Voices of the Women’s Movement, is coming out on 9 May. I will be speaking at libraries and literary festivals, including the Hay Festival on 31 May.

On 15 January, at 9pm, “Find My Past” on the Yesterday TV channel is about the Staplehurst Rail crash in 1865. My cousin Ollie Dickens and I are on the programme talking about our ancestor, Charles Dickens, who was one of the people caught up in the disaster.

The spectacular theatrical production of “Great Expectations” is finally coming to the West End stage in London, from 1 February 2013 it will be at the Vaudeville Theatre:

http://www.greatexpectationstheshow.com

You can book tickets online or at the theatre.

I’m really looking forward to the three-part series “Queen Victoria’s Children”, on BBC 2 at 9pm on 1-3 January 2013. My biography of the sculptor Princess Louise (6th child of Victoria and Albert) is being published by Chatto in November 2013. As a result, I am one of the interviewees for the programme, and can be seen in the first two episodes on 1 and 2 January. One of my favourite comments so far about the programme came from the Radio Times, which described the interviewees as “a sort of firing squad of biographers”. What a superb description!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ptvwj

In the summer, I was interviewed for the French radio programme La Fabrique de l’Histoire about the Dickens bicentenary year, you can hear it here. It was aired on Christmas Eve 2012 and will be available to download for a year:

http://www.franceculture.fr/emission-la-fabrique-de-l-histoire-speciale-documentaires-13-2012-12-24

Yesterday I met a remarkable women, her name is Baillie Aaron, a Canadian working in London, who is really helping to turn around the lives of young people in need. The project she has set up is called Spark Inside, please take a look:

http://www.sparkinside.org

You can find out more about Katey, by following this link to hear my interview with Chick History, a project that invites contemporary women to talk about the historic women who have inspired them:

http://herstoryproject.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/herstory-37-katey-perugini-by-lucinda.html

I am very much looking forward to visiting Galveston Island, Texas, again this year, for the Dickens on the Strand festival. It will be even bigger and better this year, to mark Dickens’ bicentenary. If you’re in Texas 30 Nov-2 December, come and say hello.

http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Dickens_Overview.asp

I recently finished updating my biography of Katey Perugini (née Dickens), the artist daughter of Charles and Catherine Dickens. I am so excited about having had the chance to add in all the new information people sent me after reading my first biography of her and realising they owned works by her. Thank you very much to all those people, it is much appreciated. The book is coming out in July 2013 with Globe Pequot press. Watch this space for more info…

Last week I was lucky enough to visit the Tate Britain’s new exhibition. “The Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde”. The result was this video:
http://www.artfund.org/what-to-see/exhibitions/2012/09/12/pre-raphaelites-victorian-avant-garde

Another extract from the Warwick University Dickens project, me reading the 1857 preface to Little Dorrit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKohWpBrK8U

My very brief appearance on BBC London News talking about the Tate Britain’s new Pre-Raphaelite exhibition:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19561531

My interview with Zee News (I’m not entirely sure I like being described as “progeny”…):
http://zeenews.india.com/news/exclusive/message-of-a-christmas-carol-was-gandhian_798166.html

Warwick University has worked on a new Dickens project, here is a video from my interview with them about Dickens as a husband and father (very very bad hair day – this should have been a radio interview!).

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/dickens/victorian/husband-and-father/

I was thrilled to find out about a new stage version of Great Expectations (stage play written by the very talented Jo Clifford). The play begins its UK tour on 12 September at Richmond Theatre in Surrey. It will be travelling around the UK visiting theatres in Woking, Malvern, Brighton, Birmingham, Darlington, Southampton, Aylesbury and Aberdeen before starting in the West End in 2013. To find out more visit http://greatexpectationstheplay.com

I’m really looking forward to working with the company, and will be giving talks before some of the performances.

I had an amazing time at the Hay-on-Wye book festival. What a wonderful insitution it has become. Thanks to everyone who helped make my event such a success, I really do appreciate it.

Thanks very much to Steve Wright for mentioning my Charles Dickens book event at Hay-on-Wye lit fest on his Radio 2 afternoon show. You can listen again here (I get a name check about 12 minutes in):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01hzkl7/Steve_Wright_in_the_Afternoon_with_Phil_Tufnell_John_Cooper_Clarke_and_Adrian_Evans/

On 15 May, I shall be giving a talk at SAF restaurant, upstairs at Wholefoods on High Street Kensington (London). The evening starts at 6.45pm. I’ll be talking about Charles Dickens and SAF will be serving delicious food. For more information or to buy tickets, email Francesca on: francesca@bboheme I hope to see you there.

I shall be talking about 200 Years of Charles Dickens at Shepherd’s Bush Library, London W12 on Saturday (28th April) at 3pm. A few people have told me they don’t know where the library is. It is on Wood Lane next to Westfield shopping centre (if you go to the old Shepherd’s Bush library you will encounter the new Bush Theatre, pop in and say hello and have a drink in their cafe, it’s great).

A big thank you to everyone who came along to my World Book Night talk at High Wycombe Library on Monday (and to the lovely woman who gave me a WBN free book) and to those of you who came along to Richmond Library last night (and to the very kind man who brought me a present of his own book). You were two wonderful audiences who made my final week of writing my book on Princess Louise a lot less stressful.

p>If you’re a fan of proper bookshops, then one of the shops you should know about is Bookmark in Spalding, Lincolnshire. I gave a talk there last night and was so impressed by how huge, comprehensive and welcoming the shop is. There’s a lovely cafe too, so it’s worth making a special trip to visit it.

As you may be aware, the controversial decision has been made to close the Charles Dickens Museum in London for most of the Dickens bicentenary year. I have received many queries about this and I would like to clarify that I took no part at all in this ludicrous decision, nor was I told about it until very recently. I have tried to persuade the director and trustees to re-arrange the renovations work for 2013 instead, but it has fallen on deaf ears.

I have not been given a truthful reason for the closure, despite having asked for one several times. I was told that the museum was being “forced” to close by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), I was told the HLF funds would run out at the end of 2012, so there was no chance to delay the building work. Unfortunately, I have since found out that this is completely untrue. The HLF, who have generously agreed to give the museum two very large grants and a loan,  told me that they have never insisted on the closure this year. They also said that they suggested to the museum that 2013 would be a far preferable year in which to close. This has been ignored by the museum and I have not been given any genuine explanation for why the decision to close in 2012 was made. The HLF stated to me uncategorically: “The decision to close in the bicentenary year came from the museum itself, not from us”.

The museum will be closed from 10 April until 1 December (if the building work goes to plan of course. Let’s hope they have booked reliable builders, encounter no structural problems and that we don’t have a wet summer!). I am so very sorry for any Dickens fans who have specially planned to visit London in his bicentenary year. Unfortunately, the museum will be closed all through the Olympics and the International Dickens Fellowship Conference.

I have had several emails from people very upset about the closure as they have donated money to the museum’s renovations fund and now won’t be able to visit the museum during their trip to England in 2012. To those people, I can only apologise and say that I have tried to get the museum’s management to listen to people’s concerns and to postpone the renovations. They refuse to respond. I can do nothing about the donations, sadly, but please feel free to take up your grievance with the museum. Thank you.

I was invited onto the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 to talk about the impending closure of the Charles Dickens Museum, in the year of his bicentenary. You can listen to it here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9680000/9680653.stm

Today I was interviewed by the BBC World Service for a special programme on Dickens and India; it will be broadcast in time for his bicentenary. Depending on which region you live in, it will go live on either 6th or 7th Feb.

If you’re studying Dickens with the Open University, new podcasts are soon going to be available to you. I really enjoyed meeting the lovely Eve yesterday, who has been interviewing several Dickens experts and will be getting the podcasts of our interviews ready to download in the next few months.

I was interviewed this week by Robin Gibson from BBC South East. We had a great time in Rochester talking about Charles Dickens. It will be shown on TV during the week of 7th February (the date of Dickens’ 200th birthday).

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Tickets are now on sale for my events at Highgate Cemetery, I’m talking about Lizzie Siddal on 11 February. Booking has to be done in advance by email only:  events@highgate-cemetery.org.

The same email address can be used to book tickets for my talk on the Dickens family at Highgate on 13 February.

I was thrilled to receive the Wilkie Collins Society newsletter which contains a glowing review of my book by none other than BBC Radio 4’s Paul Lewis (of Money Box fame). He describes it as “the most unusual of the bicentenary offerings … a brilliant collection of pictures, play programmes, letters and manuscripts reproduced with great care … bite-sized chapters take you through the events of Dickens’s life in a straightforward and engaging manner written with great style by his great-great-great-granddaughter…. At £30 it is amazing value and worth the price…. Warning – it is a bit big to read on the train!”

p>I shall be one of the guest speakers at the V&A Museum of Childhood’s conference on 18th June 2012, for more information about the day, follow the link:  http://www.le.ac.uk/engassoc/conferences/D2012.html

The Dickens Bicentenary year has begun at last – many years of preparation have gone into organising the celebration and the Dickens 2012 website provides information about events all over the world.

To find out about talks I’ll be giving to commemorate 200 years since Charles Dickens’ birth, click on my Speaking Engagements page.

In February, I shall be marking two very important occasions at Highgate Cemetery, both talks are to raise funds for the cemetery’s upkeep, so please do come along and support them.

On 11 February, it will be exactly 150 years since the death of Lizzie Siddal, who is buried at Highgate, so come along to a talk that evening on the life and death of the original supermodel.

On 13 February, I shall be giving a talk about the Dickens family’s connection to Highgate. Catherine Dickens, wife of the novelist, and their infant daughter Dora are both buried in the cemetery, as are several other Dickens family members. Come along and discover a different side to the Dickens bicentenary year.

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