Like all children the young Charles Dickens loved Christmas, and his parents made sure it was extra special – with dances, games, laughter and plum pudding.

But when he was ten, his life changed drastically – his father was thrown into the debtor’s prison and Charles’ magical childhood came to an abrupt end.

In 'The Man Who Invented Christmas', Andrew Billen tells the story of how Dickens became England’s most famous writer – and chased the dream of a perfect Christmas for the rest of his life.

He never forgot his days among the poor and abandoned, and as he rose to fame, he believed more and more in the importance of doing good to others. This became Dickens’s Christmas message – and the inspiration for his book, A Christmas Carol, one of the most enduring stories ever told.

"Billen’s warmth of affection and his deep admiration for his subject are infectious and make this a treat to slip into any child’s Christmas stocking”
The Times

About the author

Andrew Billen is a feature writer on, and currently television critic of, The Times. He has worked on The Observer, the Standard and the New Statesman

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