2018 List of Events

Saturday 3rd February
NSWDS AGM + A talk by Brian Powyer; Dickens’ Characters & their Australian Links

Brian is the President of the National Trust of Australia (NSW), and will be speaking about the characters of Dickens’ novels that are linked to Australia (Miss Havisham, John Edmunds, Fagin, Wackford Squeers, Wilkins Macawber, Abel Magwitch, Pip, Mr Peggotty, Mr Gummidge and Little Em’ly). Brian will compare Dickens’ perception and stories with the political and social realities in Australia at the time and
look at the role that the Home Office in UK played in that period in determining the political evolution of Australia towards nationhood.

Wednesday 7th February
Charles Dickens’ Birthday Celebrations

Come and enjoy a drink and piece of birthday cake to celebrate Charles Dickens’ 206th birthday around his statue and the launch of Boz in Oz: Charles Dickens’ Colonial Connections, the 112th International Dickens Fellowship Conference which will be held 25 – 30 October, 2018 in Sydney.
10.30am: Corner of Dickens Drive and Loch Avenue, Centennial Parklands, Sydney.
Free, but please RSVP by 1.02.18 for catering purposes; [email protected]

Saturday 7th April
A talk by Isabel Deeble; A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens & Public Readings

Isabel is a member of the NSW Dickens Society and an international speaker. Dickens as a performing reader brought his novels alive on the stage to enthralled crowds. In this presentation, Isabel will explore Dickens’ performing selves and how those highly dramatic readings were conducted, received, staged and scripted in what he called ‘this new expression of the meaning of my books’. Isabel will cover how and why the readings were the great theatrical sensation of the day both in Britain and the USA, Dickens’ love
of performance as background to his public readings, why Dickens chose to go on tour, the staging of the readings, the readings as performance and the legacy of the public readings. The talk will include short readings of Mrs Crachit bringing in the Christmas pudding and Mr Fezziwig’s Ball by Geofrey R. Usher.

Saturday, 2nd June
A talk by Walter Mason; Martin Chuzzlewit & the Lure of America

Walter is the Vice-President of the NSW Dickens Society, a professional speaker, author and tour guide. Dickens’ final exploration of the picaresque form in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit has always been one of his least-discussed books, but in this talk, Walter Mason makes the case for it being one of his best. Dickens made a decision to switch the scene to America partway through the novel, and Walter also
looks at Dickens’ relationship to America and the ways in which it was portrayed by his peers in English literature.

Saturday 4th August
A talk by Matthew Gain and Ilse Scheepers; Audible Dickens

Matthew and Ilse are from Audible Australia (the world’s largest selection of audio books) and will talk about Dickens’ works being read on talking books, what makes them popular for today’s audience, what and who makes a successful reading of Dickens’ works, and the general growth and interest of reading books aloud.

Saturday 6th October
A talk by Jennifer Ide; Charles Dickens at His ‘Little Kentish Freehold’

Jennifer is the Senior tour guide at Gad’s Hill Place (Charles Dickens’ home between 1856 – 1870 in Kent, England). Jennifer will be travelling from the UK to give us this talk.
‘Divers birds sing here all day, and the nightingales all night. The place is lovely and in perfect order …’ Charles Dickens’s last and favourite home was Gad’s Hill Place, at Higham in Kent. The years he spent there were the most difficult and turbulent of his life, nonetheless they were full and productive, and he still had energy enough to enjoy a full and active social life with his family and friends and his neighbours of the
village of Higham. Jennifer will also talk about the ‘Charles Dickens’ rose.

Thursday 25th – Tuesday 30th October
Boz in Oz: Charles Dickens’ Colonial Connections – 112th International Dickens Fellowship Conference in Sydney

 Join us for a wonderful array of speakers and visits including Tom Keneally, Susannah Fullerton OAM FRSN, Emeritus Scientia Professor Christine Alexander, Walter Mason and visits to the Charles Dickens statue in Centennial Parklands, Hyde Park Barracks and Vaucluse House. Conference and booking details can be found at www.bozinoz.com

Christmas Lunch: date and location to be confirmed.
Please check our website closer to the date: https://dickenssydney.com/ Separate cost.