Charles Dickens was born on 7th Feb 1812. The Dickens family lived near Portsmouth, on the South coast of England. Later, the family lived in London.
Dickens had three brothers and three sisters. He was a small, thin boy. And he was often ill. Dickens' father, John, was a clerk in an office. He worked for the British Navy. But Johndid not spend his money carefully. He owed people money. In 1824, he was sent to prison. Dickens' father, mother, brothers and sisters all stayed in prison. Dickens had to work in a factory. He never forgot this difficult time.
Dickens went to school for only a few years. But he read many books and he educated himself. In 1834, Dickens became a newspaper reporter. He also wrote stories. His first stories were printed in magazines. A new part of the story was printed each week. These stories were very, very popular. Dickens became the most famous English writer in the 19th Century.
Dickens loved London. He often walked through the streets. And he visited the theatres, museums and gardens. Many of his stories are about life in London. Dickens wrote about the poor people, the hungry children and the bad houses they all lived in.
Dickens married Catherine Hogarth in 1836. They had ten children. But Catherine and Charles were not happy. In 1857 Dickens met an actress, Ellen Ternan. He fell in love with her. Dickens separated from his wife in 1858.
Dickens worked hard all his life. He became very rich. In 1856, he bought a large house - Gad`s Hill - in Kent. He travelled in England, Scotland, Ireland and America. He read his stories in theatres.
Dickens died on 8th June 1870. He was 58 years old. He was buried in the famous church, Westminster Abbey, in London.
Bibliography: Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities, Macmillan Readers. First Published 1997.
