LL x JBW: Dickens' Jews (in person at King's Place)
Helena Kelly’s new book, The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens, is a fascinating new insight into one of our greatest storytellers (and a founding member of The London Library), unpicking the stories he told about himself and unravelling his many secrets.
In this event, taking place at Jewish Book Week, Kelly speaks with Claire Berliner about the surprising discoveries she made and considers, in particular, Dickens’ relationship with the Jewish community, from the relatives whose faith he strived to conceal and the antisemitism in his depiction of Fagin, to positive portrayals in Our Mutual Friend, and the amends he made later in life following his correspondence with Jewish charity campaigner Eliza Davis.
Helena Kelly's previous book was Jane Austen, the Secret Radical. She was brought up in Dickens's beloved marsh country of north Kent, and holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she has taught classics and English Literature.
Claire Berliner is Head of Programmes at The London Library.
Jewish Book Week is an annual international literary festival, held in London, which brings together writers and speakers from the worlds of history, journalism, philosophy, science, art, music, poetry and fiction in a celebration of ideas. The 2024 festival runs at Kings Place from 2 to 10 March.
Book Week is the Jewish Literary Foundation's annual celebration of ideas and the power of the written word. London’s longest-running literary festival, it is open to everyone and offers conversations, performances and talks with thinkers from around the world, including actors, artists, authors, broadcasters, comedians, historians, musicians, philosophers, poets, politicians, singers, scientists and so much more. Book Week 24 returns in-person at Kings Place, London, and online from 2-10 March 2024.
This event will take place at Kings Place.
