It was the best of times, it was the worst of times
Born in Portsmouth, England. Father John was a Navy pay clerk who couldn't manage money -- he went to debtor's prison when I was twelve. Mother Elizabeth wanted me to keep working at the blacking factory that crushed my soul. I never forgave her. That anger fueled fifteen novels. I wrote Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol. Serial publication -- a chapter a week -- I invented the cliffhanger. I gave public readings that filled theatres. I campaigned for children's rights, education reform, sanitation. Every Christmas you feel generous? That's me. Scrooge is the most reformed character in literature. I proved that a story can change how an entire society thinks about poverty.
Novel Writing
Art · 35y
Public Reading
Art · 25y
Social Reform
Other · 30y
Serial Storytelling
Art · 30y
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Exported from La Piazza · 2026-05-12