Happy birthday to Charles Dickens
Born on this day 200 years ago - 7 February 1812.
Possibly the first ever world wide celebrity.
Charles Dickens is famous for being the most popular novelist of the Victorian era. He was born in 1812 and is the man responsible for some of English's most iconic characters.
Most of his novels first appeared in magazines in serialised form which was a popular format at that time. His work has been praised for its mastery of prose and realism.
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In 1833 Dickens had his first story published in the Monthly Magazine. Using the pen-name of 'Boz', Dickens also began contributing short stories to the Morning Chronicle and the London Evening Chronicle. These stories were so popular that they were collected together and published as a book entitled Sketches by Boz (1836).
The publisher, William Hall, now commissioned Dickens to write The Pickwick Papers in twenty monthly installments. This was followed by Oliver Twist, published in Bentley's Miscellany (1837-38) and Nicholas Nickleby (1838-39), also published monthly. Dickens was now the most popular writer in Britain and over the next few years he wrote a series of popular novels including The Old Curiosity Shop (1840-1), Barnaby Rudge (1841), Martin Chuzzlewit (1843-4) and A Christmas Carol (1843).
Although Dickens was now a very successful novelist, he continued to be interested in social reform. While in America in 1842 he upset his hosts by condemning slavery. Dickens also decided to invest some of his royalties in a new radical newspaper, The Daily News. Dickens became editor and in the first edition published on 21st January 1846, he wrote: "The principles advocated in The Daily News will be principles of progress and improvement; of education, civil and religious liberty, and equal legislation."
Born on this day 200 years ago - 7 February 1812.
Possibly the first ever world wide celebrity.
Charles Dickens is famous for being the most popular novelist of the Victorian era. He was born in 1812 and is the man responsible for some of English's most iconic characters.
Most of his novels first appeared in magazines in serialised form which was a popular format at that time. His work has been praised for its mastery of prose and realism.
----------------------
In 1833 Dickens had his first story published in the Monthly Magazine. Using the pen-name of 'Boz', Dickens also began contributing short stories to the Morning Chronicle and the London Evening Chronicle. These stories were so popular that they were collected together and published as a book entitled Sketches by Boz (1836).
The publisher, William Hall, now commissioned Dickens to write The Pickwick Papers in twenty monthly installments. This was followed by Oliver Twist, published in Bentley's Miscellany (1837-38) and Nicholas Nickleby (1838-39), also published monthly. Dickens was now the most popular writer in Britain and over the next few years he wrote a series of popular novels including The Old Curiosity Shop (1840-1), Barnaby Rudge (1841), Martin Chuzzlewit (1843-4) and A Christmas Carol (1843).
Although Dickens was now a very successful novelist, he continued to be interested in social reform. While in America in 1842 he upset his hosts by condemning slavery. Dickens also decided to invest some of his royalties in a new radical newspaper, The Daily News. Dickens became editor and in the first edition published on 21st January 1846, he wrote: "The principles advocated in The Daily News will be principles of progress and improvement; of education, civil and religious liberty, and equal legislation."
