Mr Charles Dickens is, after Shakespeare, England's most famous writer. He was born at Portsmouth in 1812. After a childhood of mixed fortunes (at the age of twelve he was slaving in a boot-blacking factory) he learned shorthand and became a newspaper reporter. In 1833 he started contributing sketches of everyday London life to magazines and within two years started upon his phenomenal career as a novelist.
Details of his life can be found on many websites and the NEWS & LINKS page suggests sites that offer succint biographies.
A look at Dickens's early life can be seen in the interesting new novella
"Mr Dickens & Master Betty"
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