Charles Dickens

1812 – 1870

Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist and journalist regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, whose work created some of the best-known characters in English literature including Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Ebenezer Scrooge, and Pip. His serialized novels, including A Christmas Carol, Bleak House, Great Expectations, and Our Mutual Friend, exposed Victorian London's poverty, child labor, and institutional cruelty to a vast readership and contributed directly to social reform. He combined a literary career with sustained journalism and public-speaking tours, and his social conscience left an indelible mark on the 19th-century novel.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM