Biography of charles dickens ks23

English novelist and social critic (1812–1870)

"Dickens" and "Dickensian" redirect here.

Who was Charles Dickens? - BBC Bitesize

For the television series, see Dickensian (TV series). For other uses, see Dickens (disambiguation).

Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.^[1] His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime and, by the 20th century, critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius.

His novels and short stories are widely read today.^[2][3]

Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school at age 12 to work in a boot-blacking factory when his father John was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. After three years, he returned to school before beginning his literary career as a journalist.

Dickens edited a weekly jo