Charles Dickens (07:25)

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Dickens was born in 1812 to a middle-class family in Portsmouth. The family moved frequently because of his father, John's job. Dickens began school in Chatham and wrote locations there into his books.

London 1822 (05:33)

Poor finances forced the family to leave Chatham and move to London. At age 12, Dickens began working in a factory and his family spent a year in debtor’s prison. Poverty became a frequent theme in his work and made readers sympathetic to the poor.

Success (06:49)

Thanks to an inheritance from Dickens' grandmother, he was able to attend school and became a reporter. He began writing literary pieces and doing newspaper sketches as he started "The Pickwick Papers." His popularity grew the more he wrote.

Fame (08:30)

Dickens became a public figure and celebrated writer. He had nine children with his wife, Catherine Hogarth, but they separated. He worked hard at his writing and gave public readings.

Credits: Charles Dickens (00:37)

Credits: Charles Dickens