Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was an English writer and journalist, born in Portsmouth in 1812, best known for novels such as Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities. Many of his books first appeared in monthly or weekly instalments, a format he helped pioneer, and his serial stories reached huge readerships, including poorer readers who paid a halfpenny to hear each episode read aloud. Many regard him as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, and he also campaigned for children's rights, education and other social reforms. He died in 1870.