Who was Charles Dickens and why is he still relevant today?

Charles Dickens is one of Britain's most famous authors.

His writing includes books such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol - books that are still very widely read today.

He wrote about things that many people before him had avoided writing about, like the lives of poorer people.

He died in 1870, making 2020 the 150th anniversary of his death, so we thought we'd take a look at who Charles Dickens was, and why his books were so influential.

Who was Charles Dickens?

Charles Dickens

Charles John Huffam Dickens was born in 1812, in Portsmouth on England's south coast, and was one of eight children. His family moved around though, and he grew up in London and Kent.

When Charles was 12 his father was sent to prison because of financial problems. This meant Charles had to go to work, and he got a job at a shoe polish factory pasting the labels on to bottles.

Many experts have said this period in his life had a lot of influence on the stories he went on to write.

What did Dickens write?

Charles Dickens wrote 15 novels, five novellas and hundreds of short stories.

Novels like Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities are still sold today.

But his most famous work is probably A Christmas Carol. It was first published just before Christmas in 1843, and its first print of 6,000 copies sold out in just 8 days.

The story of Ebenezer Scrooge learning about the spirit of Christmas is still well known and the BBC made a new television adaptation of it just last year.

Oliver Twist was turned into a musical that is still being performed now, and there have been several film versions of Great Expectations.

Away from television adaptations and stage shows, many people still read his books. They have never been 'out-of-print,' which means, even all these years later, book shops are selling enough copies to need new ones printed.

What made him different from other writers of his time?

Dickens wrote about topics that lots of other authors ignored.

He wrote a lot about people who lived in poverty, who were ill, or who had to fight for their place in society - a lot like he had to do as child.

Many of his characters were based on real people and their lives. That made people understand his stories more, and reflect on what Britain was like at that time.

He was often challenging and spoke out about laws he didn't agree on, especially the 'new poor law,' a law the British Library describes as an attempt to, "slash expenditure on poverty." Dickens thought the law was harsh, and that poor people needed help, not to be forced to work in awful conditions in factories.

Charles Dickens was a journalist when the law was being introduced and worked hard to make sure newspapers told people what was happening in parliament. He went on to use his books to speak out about the system and promoted change - and it worked.

How is he remembered today?

Dickens began his writing career in Westminster as a journalist

Dickens is still regarded as one of Britain's greatest ever authors - he even had his image used on the ten pound note.

However, he is also remembered as a great pioneer who pushed for real changes in society.

His books are still affecting authors today and he has a museum dedicated to him and there is a statue of him in Portsmouth, where he was born.

Have you read any of his books or seen film adaptations? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.