It's Dickens Day in Hastings - "Dickens is dead! Yet he liveth again!"

Celebrating the life and work of one of England’s foremost writers, Hastings Literary Festival presents Dickens Day on April 7 at St Mary in the Castle.

In the afternoon, author and broadcaster John Mullan will deliver a talk on The Artful Dickens, sharing with the audience the literary tricks and ploys the great man used to create suspense, humour, melodrama and delight – a talk for all those who love the work of Dickens and those who have yet to be introduced. In the evening, the Pantaloons present an affectionately anarchic interpretation of Great Expectations, one of Dickens most enduring favourites.

Wayne Herbert, the festival’s director of community engagement, said: “Charles Dickens was one of the world’s greatest novelists – with strong Sussex connections. He wrote both Bleak House and Dombey and Son in Brighton and was also known to have visited Hastings.

“In December 1861, at an event at the Hastings Musical Hall (now Yates’ Wine Lodge) he read from both The Pickwick Papers and A Christmas Carol. This event is now commemorated with a blue plaque. The town also held a hugely successful Dickens Memorial Pageant in 1912 – attended by thousands of people. The Hastings and St Leonards Observer waxed lyrical about the pageant in a review which reads: ‘Dickens is dead! Yet he liveth again, and came to us once more to tell his dreams, his mighty love and great conceptions…’”

Sam Davey, Hastings Literary Festival’s founder and director: “Charles Dickens is a literary giant – a true genius. We are delighted to present two very different events that celebrate his works. For me, his books are some of the most enjoyable works of fiction in the English language.”

Wayne added: “The two events are taking place at St Mary in the Castle on the afternoon and evening of April 7. Concessionary tickets are available and the Festival are delighted to be able to offer free tickets to students for The Artful Dickens.

“For anyone studying English Literature or creative writing, this event is a must – and we are very pleased that we can offer free tickets to students to attend”.

The presenter of The Artful Dickens, John Mullan is Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at University College London. He has published widely on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature. His books include What Matters in Jane Austen? (Bloomsbury, 2012). Tickets £8 (£5 concessions). Free tickets available for students.

“The Pantaloons bring a vital sense of play back to classical performance. Their adaptation of Great Expectations will allow you to join Pip the orphan on a journey through his eventful life via hilarious turns and tragic twists; filled with escaped convicts, eccentric spinsters, mysterious benefactors and gut-wrenching heartbreak.”

Tickets £14 (auditorium) £11 (gallery).

Tickets: www.Hastingslitfest.org or from https://stmaryinthecastle.org.uk/events/

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