Dickensblog

More from the Dickens Museum

On July 3, at 2 p.m. U.K. time, Dr. Claire Wood and Professor Hugo Bowles will give a virtual talk on "Decoding Dickens: The Shorthand Mysteries," focusing on shorthand texts written by Dickens that are still being deciphered. Go here to learn more and to sign up! 

And if you're in London or plan to be there sometime in the next few months, go check out the exhibition "Faithful Companions: Charles Dickens & His Pets," which "explore[s] the stories of Dickens's own pets and some famous animals from his novels through precious objects, such as his hand-written letters, family photo albums and artworks." It runs until January 12. To promote the exhibition, the Museum's Facebook page offers a reading by Helena Bonham Carter of Mamie Dickens's anecdote about her father, his cat, and a candle; and Simon Callow's reading of a passage about Bull's-eye from Oliver Twist.

Lucinda Hawksley talks 'A Tale of Two Cities'

On Saturday, July 13, the Dickens Museum is sponsoring "A Tale of Two Cities: An Afternoon with Lucinda Dickens Hawksley," where Dickens's great-great-great-granddaughter and president of the Dickens Fellowship will read excerpts from the novel and lead a discussion. The event is free and can be attended in-person or online. Go here for all the details and to sign up!

Honoring Dickens with a new generation

Today marks the 154th anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens. On Friday, members of the Dickens Fellowship gathered to lay a wreath of geraniums on his grave, along with another wreath sent by Gad's Hill School. Marion Dickens Lloyd, a great-great-granddaughter of the author, gave the oration, and among those gathered were two of her grandchildren, who, Lucinda Dickens Hawksley writes, "were allowed off school to visit their 4x grandfather's grave for the very first time." Reports and pictures from Lucinda Hawksley, the Dickens Fellowship, and Ian Dickens are here, here, here, and here. Thanks to the Dickens family for sharing these tributes with all of us who love their inimitable ancestor!

Still more 'King of Kings' casting news

The cast list for the animated film based on The Life of Our Lord continues to grow: Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, and Ben Kingsley will all be voicing villains (Pontius Pilate, King Herod, and High Priest Caiaphas, respectively).