Join Lucinda Hawksley, author, lecturer, broadcaster and great great great granddaughter of Charles and Catherine Dickens. Come on a fun walking tour of the London that Dickens wrote about in his Christmas novellas and short stories. We’ll start near one of Dickens’s homes and walk across the city, discovering the places that he was inspired by and the stories the city helped him to create. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the festive season. …
Lucinda Hawksley will be returning to talk to us about all things Victorian and Christmassy. Drawing on her two seasonal books, Dickens and Christmas and Victorian Christmas, she’ll talk about how the festive season was celebrated in her great great great grandfather’s time, how his writings influenced the way in which Christmas was perceived, and how the 19th century is responsible for many of the seasonal traditions we still celebrate. ? …
Join us with author Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, a descendant of Charles Dickens. In her outstanding book ‘Victorian Christmas’, she reveals the fascinating history of Christmas traditions still enjoyed today. …
Who better to get you into the Christmas spirit than a direct descendant of Charles Dickens? Join Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, author of Dickens and Christmas and Victorian Christmas, to discover the origins behind our best-loved seasonal traditions – and to find out how A Christmas Carol so dramatically changed the ways in which the festive season is celebrated. …
Step back in time this Christmas and experience the historic home of Charles Dickens in a truly unique guided tour. You’ll begin your evening with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie upon arrival, where you’ll be introduced to Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, patron of the Charles Dickens Museum and the 3x great granddaughter of Charles Dickens. …
Bah, humbug? Not a chance! “What the Dickens?” is a sparkling celebration of words, music and theatre that’s guaranteed to chase away the winter gloom. Join Portsmouth’s poets, authors and performers as they reimagine Dickens’ best-loved characters with a festive twist – from Scrooge himself to the ghosts that still haunt our imaginations. …
Lucinda’s talk is entitled ‘The Original Boz: the Life and Lies of Augustus Dickens’ …
Past Events
An evening with writer and broadcaster Lucinda Hawksley, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens. Lucinda will explore the life and enduring influence of her celebrated ancestor, offering fresh insights into his world and the creative legacy he left behind. This promises to be a fascinating blend of literary heritage and contemporary perspective, bringing Dickens’s relevance to today’s audiences.
To reserve a seat at any of the events, please email [email protected],specifying which event(s) you are interested in and the number of tickets required.
- Non-members of the library Trust £10, members £7.50 per event, payable at the door.
- There will be an interval at each event for refreshment
Great Expectations meets Killing Eve.
Dubbed ‘gloriously Gothic’ (Daily Mail), Estella’s Revenge reimagines the story of Charles Dickens’ Miss Havisham – the world’s most famous jilted bride. Long fascinated with Miss Havisham’s daughter, Estella, Barbara asks the question: What kind of emotionally-scarred adult would Estella become?
A journalist, Barbara has interviewed victims and perpetrators of crime, which informs her fiction. Estella’s Revenge is the first in her new historical thriller series; she has written six bestselling psychological thrillers under her real name, Barbara Copperthwaite.
Who better than to darkly explore the matter than Dicken’s great, great, great granddaughter herself – author, art historian and broadcaster, Lucinda Hawksley. For the past decade, Lucinda has been a Patron of the Charles Dickens Museum. Her books include Victorian Christmas, Dickens and Travel, and Charles Dickens and his Circle.
The Little Book of Miriam: Miriam Margolyes
A life-long Dickens aficionado, her recent Edinburgh Fringe show was Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits. She comes to Whitby at the end of a book tour for her latest memoir.
Join her for a candid interview with her long-time friend: Dickens’ great, great, great granddaughter, the author, art historian and broadcaster, Lucinda Hawksley, as she discusses her latest book: The Little Book of Miriam, an A-Z of wit and wisdom.
Diaries of Note 366 Lives, One Day at a Time: Shaun Usher
Shaun Usher is a literary phenomenon – the appointed custodian of letters, lists and now, diaries.
Diaries of Note is a daily celebration of the diary — one of the most intimate, therapeutic, and revealing forms of writing imaginable — and a regular opportunity to see how people have attempted to memorialise and make sense of their lives throughout the ages.
Join him in conversation with historian and author, Lucinda Hawksley, featuring actor Miriam Margolyes giving very special diary readings.
Join us at the Charles Dickens Museum for a special talk with celebrated author, biographer, and Dickens descendant Lucinda Hawksley, as she shines a light on the remarkable life and career of Katey Dickens who was born on 29th October 1839 at 48 Doughty Street, one of Charles Dickens’s most fascinating children.
Drawing from her acclaimed book, Katey: Dickens’s Artistic Daughter, Lucinda will explore Katey’s extraordinary journey as a professional artist in Victorian Britain. Often overshadowed by her famous father, Katey forged her own identity in the art world, exhibiting at the Royal Academy and establishing herself as a respected portrait painter.
Through Lucinda’s expert storytelling, we will uncover the struggles and triumphs of a woman determined to succeed in a male-dominated profession, and gain new insight into the Dickens family dynamic—beyond the public persona of England’s greatest novelist.
Miriam Margolyes From A to Z
Whether sharing daring declarations, behind-the-scenes antics, or the indignities of ageing, Miriam’s insights will touch your heart, provoke your thoughts, and leave you in stitches.
With her signature candour, unpredictability, and unvarnished truth, the irreplaceable Miriam Margolyes will deliver an experience as unique and extraordinary as she is. …
This riveting read provides a vital look at the inside story of our food: what we eat and how we should be eating it. Tim Spector introduces us to a way of eating that’s not only nutritious and cheap but also one of the longest and best-established systems in the world. Something that’s both simple and fool-proof but at the same time life-changing!
Fermentation.
Tim Spector has already made a name for himself as an advocate of healthy foods. As Professor of Epidemiology at King’s College London and best-selling author of, amongst others, The Diet Myth, Spoon-Fed and Food for Life, he certainly knows his onions…
This year’s award ceremony marks the opening event of the Isle of Wight Literary Festival. Taking place at the Island Sailing Club in Cowes on Tuesday 7th October, the Presentation Lunch will include an opening speech by award founder Hunter Davies, with all three judges in attendance.
It’s a rare chance to see Island-inspired authors and readers come together in celebration—and for finalists, a moment to share their work in front of a literary-minded audience.
Judges:
- Children’s books: Nicholas Allen, author and illustrator of favourites like The Queen’s Knickers
- Fiction: M.H. Eccleston, whose Island-based murder mystery Death on the Isle won the very first award
- Non-fiction: Lucinda Hawksley, historian, broadcaster, and descendant of Charles Dickens