Dickensblog

Lucinda Dickens Hawksley: 'You can tell in his books when he is depressed'

Dickens's great-great-great-granddaughter gives an insightful interview to Noted on his troubled marriage, his mental health, her favorite of his novels, and what her next book is going to be about.

Happy 175th birthday to 'A Christmas Carol'!

The tributes and honors have been pouring in from all over! Here's a roundup:

• The Paris Review, Vox, and The Christian Science Monitor all have articles about the anniversary. BuzzFeed has a Christmas Carol quiz. BBC News offers suggestions of celebratory Dickensian food and a gin punch recipe in honor of the day.
• The Dickens Museum held an unabridged reading of the book, hosted by Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, and also asked various Dickens experts to weigh in on the question of which movie adaptation is the best. 
• The New York Public Library is hosting an exhibition on the book and also released an Insta Novel version.
• And finally, here's my own tribute.

It's lovely to see Dickens's "ghostly little book" still so loved and appreciated all these years later for all it's given us. If you've seen any tributes that I missed, please post them in the comments!

Birthday party for 'A Christmas Carol'

Dickens's Christmas classic is turning 175 this year! The Dickens Museum is hosting a celebration with Lucinda Dickens Hawksley the evening of December 19, including "mulled wine, mince pies and tales of Christmases past." If you're in the area, click here to buy tickets!

New interview with Lucinda Dickens Hawksley

In this article, Hawksley talks to International Policy Digest about her famous ancestor's work, and her own.

Dickens in Galveston

Chron.com reports that this year's Dickens on the Strand -- featuring the return of Mark Dickens after 12 years, to perform A Christmas Carol -- brought a little cheer to hurricane-ravaged Galveston, Texas.

Hawksley, Dickens, and Christmas

Lucinda Hawksley's new book about her great-great-great grandfather, Dickens and Christmas, will be released in the U.K. on October 30. It won't be released here in the United States until February, which seems a bit silly, considering that's well after Christmas! Here's hoping the U.S. publishers rethink that one. (Thanks to The Buzfuz for the tip.)

In memory of Georgina Hogarth, 'the active spirit'

Today marked the centenary of Georgina Hogarth's death on April 19, 1917. The sister of Charles Dickens's wife, Catherine, Georgina is something of an enigma. In the bitter split between Charles and Catherine, Georgina sided with her brother-in-law and chose to stay with him and the children, for reasons that are still not entirely clear. There were rumors of an affair between the two, but according to the most reliable sources, they were nothing but close friends. Dickens called Georgina "the active spirit of the house," and though it was said in a sad and troubling context, it's still a high tribute to a woman who provided some stability and comfort to the children who no doubt sorely needed it.

Commemorating Georgina Hogarth

Next Wednesday, April 19, will mark the centenary of the death of Dickens's sister-in-law Georgina Hogarth. The Dickens Fellowship will commemorate her in a graveside ceremony, to which all are welcome. Click here for details.

Catching up with Gerald Dickens and 'To Begin With'

CBS Minnesota has a short video interview with Gerald Dickens, including a couple of very brief clips from To Begin With. Broadway World has a Q&A with him, and Lavender magazine has another one. And the blog Compendium has a nice, thorough review of the show itself. Thanks to The Buzfuz for pointing me to some of these!

'To Begin With' returns to Minneapolis

The play inspired by Dickens's The Life of Our Lord, and starring his descendant Gerald Charles Dickens, is coming back to the city where it premiered two years ago. To Begin With will run at the Historic Wesley Center from March 28 through April 15. For more information, go here; to buy tickets, go here. 

Speaking of Gerald Dickens, you can read his thoughts on performing in this and other works by and about his famous ancestor at his blog!