Lucinda’s talk is entitled ‘The Original Boz: the Life and Lies of Augustus Dickens’ …
Past Events
By the winter of 1843 Charles Dickens was in trouble. His most recent book series, Martin Chuzzlewit, was not selling well. His wife, Catherine, was pregnant with their fifth child and he was facing financial difficulties, made worse when his publishers threatened to drop his income if his book sales did not improve. Under pressure, Dickens decided to embark upon an entirely new project. Drawing upon his experience of the desperate poverty he saw in London and Manchester, and determined to open people’s hearts to the extremity of need all around him, he picked up his quill and created one of the most famous books in English literary history.
This December, join the 3x great granddaughter of Charles Dickens, Lucinda Hawksley, as she examines the remarkable story of A Christmas Carol. Examining Dickens’s early childhood, the beginnings of his literary career and the pressures of juggling his new found fame with his young family, Lucinda will explore how A Christmas Carol came to be written and unpicks the impact of this most famous of Christmas stories. …
This event is free to attend.
This is a hybrid talk, you may book either online or onsite tickets. As this is a high demand event, please only book an onsite ticket if you know you will be able to attend.
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.
Expect dramatic performances, immersive storytelling, and a rousing sing-along to warm even the chilliest of hearts. Highlights include a special reading from Tim Suffolk of the Dickens Fellowship and a spirited performance from a local choir.
It’s a night of merriment, mischief and magic – a tribute to Dickens with a modern Portsmouth flavour.
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.
From there you’ll be immersed into the world of Charles Dickens, touring through his historic London home with Lucinda as your expert guide, learning about the life and times of this incredible writer, and how – among other things – he came to write his immortal novella, A Christmas Carol.
Would you like to walk through the streets that inspired Dickens’s seasonal writing? Join this online event with Lucinda Dickens Hawksley. Join from anywhere in the world!
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.
A festive walking tour – seeing London’s seasonal lights and visiting places that inspired Charles Dickens’s Christmas writing.
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.
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. ?