Book Launch: Dickensland: The Curious History of Dickens’s London

Members of the public are welcome to attend this free public lecture.

Tourists have sought out the landmarks, streets, and alleys of Charles Dickens’s London ever since the death of the world-renowned author. Late Victorians and Edwardians were obsessed with tracking down the locations—dubbed “Dickensland”—that famously featured in his novels. Guided tours, books, magazines, collectibles, paintings and postcards, theatrical adaptations, silent films – all showcased ‘historic’ locations ‘immortalised by Dickens’. But his fans were faced with a city that was undergoing rapid redevelopment, where literary shrines were far from sacred. Over the following century, sites connected with Dickens were demolished, relocated, and reimagined. Does anything of substance remain? Lee Jackson will discuss a hundred and fifty years of Dickensian tourism (including LSE’s own ‘Old Curiosity Shop’) –  a tale of history, heritage, fantasy and fakes.

Dr Lee Jackson is a well-known expert on Victorian London. He is the author of books including Walking Dickens’ London, Dirty Old London, and Palaces of Pleasure. Lee has lectured on Victorian topics for libraries and museums throughout London and is an academic advisor to the Dickens Museum.

Chair: Jo Braithwaite
Discussant: Dr Tatiana Flessas

This event will be followed by a drinks reception.