The Dickens Fellowship, founded in 1902, is a worldwide association of people who share an interest in the life and works of Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870). For more information about our organisation visit the organisation page.

For the latest news and comment, please refer to Household Words at the lower left of this page. Use the Search Box in the upper right to enter a word or phrase to search the entire site.

Message from the President

Important message

The Management Committee are aware that there is a large pool of talented people within the membership of the Fellowship whose talents they are unaware of.  They believe that, within the membership, there is likely to be someone with the necessary experience and skills to assist the Fellowship in the role of honorary Communications Officer.  Such a person would help develop the website to improve communications both within and outside the current membership.  He or she would also be the point of focus for relations with the media – in all its multiform representations.  If you have knowledge of the different needs and expectations of the media, understand and keep abreast of new developments in social media and other forms of communications, and feel that you have the ability and the time to enhance the communications both within the Fellowship and between the Fellowship and the wider world – then please e-mail a brief resume of your knowledge and experience to: postbox@dickensfellowship.org.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Dickens Fellowship will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday 29 June 2013 at La Faiencerie, Boulogne-sur-Mer during the Dickens Fellowship conference.  The Notice of the AGM has been sent to the Secretary of each branch and will be included in the next issue of the London Particular, as required by paragraph X of Part B of the Constitution.  That Notice is also available here, together with the agenda of the meeting.

Annual Conference 2013

Boulogne sur merThe Boulogne Branch of the Dickens Fellowship invites you to the 107th International Dickens Fellowship Conference, which will take place in Boulogne sur Mer from 26 June to 1 July 2013. For more information about the town of Boulogne visit http://www.ville-boulogne-sur-mer.fr/

 

Delegates have the option of an additional day trip to Le Touquet on 1 July.

The programme of activities and the booking form are now available. 

Rochester Sweeps Festival

Rochester SweepsIt was the Rochester  2013 Sweeps Festival over the three day weekend just gone, said to be the largest May Day celebrations of its kind in the country.  In recent years I noticed the decline in the number of sweep characters taking part in the festival as it evolved in to a more May Day and Morris Dancing festival, not that that is a bad thing. My wife Sue and I, David and Peggy Hooper & Malcolm Hearn from R&CDF and a few friends/relatives, decided to dress as working Victorian sweeps on the Bank Holiday Monday to try and redress the balance. This was very well received by the thousands of visitors who attended as there were lots of Morris Dancing Sides (60 Sides or Teams) but not many Sweeps. We were stopped for so many photo's as we were so different to the Morris dancers. We informed visitors about the life of a Victorian sweep, especially the apprentices. 

Boz in Oz

From James Murray, chair,Dickens Fellowship:

"I was delighted and fascinated to read Boz in Oz, the annual newsletter of the New South Wales Dickens Society and have  asked the President, Michelle Cavanagh,for  permission to place the whole issue on the Fellowship website..

This note is to let you know that the branch has agreed to this and if you follow the link below you will b e to see not only what our friends in Oz have been doing but  also to read
a fascinating collection of articles about the work  and legacy of Charles Dickens.

Tour of Gad's Hill Place

A young Charles Dickens and his father often walked to Gad’s Hill in Kent. In later life Charles Dickens bought Gad's Hill Place and lived there until his death in 1870. Whilst living at Gad’s Hill Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Our Mutual friend, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (unfinished) You can now visit Dickens’ house and enjoy a tour of the premises by one of the Dickens Fellowship or Trust Guides. There are three tours available - 1PM, 2.15PM and 3.30PM and includes tea & cake. The cost is £7.50 and takes place on the following Sundays; 5 May, 2 June, 7 July, 4 Aug & 1 Sept 2013.  Gad’s Hill Place currently houses a working school. Booking and advanced payment is essential, call Gravesend Visitor Centre on 01474 337 600 to book.

Cambridge Branch Charter Approved

The Dickens Fellowship is delighted to announce that the application for a charter received from the branch formed in Cambridge in 2012 was unanimously approved by the Dickens Fellowship Council meeting on Saturday 13 April.  Cambridge becomes the 51st branch of the Fellowship and its charter will be presented at the Conference in Boulogne in June.  Congratulations are expressed to all the members of the branch and in particular Dr Christine Corton and Rick Allen for all their hard work in getting the branch up and running so quickly.

More Dickens Awards to continue

Fellowship representatives met the chief executive and others from the English  Association at the British Library in London this week to explore ways of building on the success of the  awards for schools, the ‘More Dickens’ competition which was introduced to mark the Bi-Centenary of Charles Dickens birth.

This Web Site is dedicated to the late Martha Rosso

A member of the Philadelphia Branch for over 35 years, Martha Rosso (née Pamplin) was one of the Fellowship's most dynamic and best loved figures. She contributed unstintingly to its business right to the very end of her life. Click here to read more about Martha Rosso.