What the dickens?

Have you heard of Miss Haversham? Of Ebenezer Scrooge and Oliver Twist? They are all characters from novels by English author Charles Dickens.

Dickens was born 200 years ago this month, on 7 February 1812. His novels and short stories are still popular today and have never gone out of print. In fact, they continue to be a huge influence in film, literature and television.

Institutions and organizations from all over the world are planning activities and events to commemorate the bicentenary of the author's birth.

There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at Westminster Abbey, where Dickens is buried. The ceremony will include readings from Dickens's novels by actor Ralph Fiennes and two of Dickens's descendants.

The dean of Westminster said: "Dickens's humanity and compassion made an extraordinary impact on Victorian England through his writings, which remain immensely popular. This bicentenary should help renew our commitment to improving the lot of the disadvantaged of our own day."

You can look forward to reading more about Charles Dickens in the February issue of Spotlight. Mike Pilewski writes about the man who is responsible for some of English literature's most iconic characters.

See how much you know about the characters in Dickens's novels as you practise some vocabulary in our exercise on the next page.

Dagmar Taylor