Charles John Huffam Dickens was and still is one of the most famous English writers to date, and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era. After the serial publication of The Pickwick Papers when he was twenty-four years old, Dickens became an international literary celebrity, and his novels and stories found they had to compete with his readings and lectures due to Charles’ dynamic stage presence, humor, and staggeringly accurate social critiques of the age. The majority of his novels were published serially, and thus Dickens became widely popular for his cliffhanger endings while also judging where next to take the story based on the reactions of his audience. And this was all coming from a man who lacked formal education or high society upbringing! In his life, Charles Dickens wrote fifteen novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, edited a weekly journal for two decades, lectured and performed on tours for the entirety of his career (literally until he died), and on top of that incredible list of professional feats, Dickens additionally was a vociferous advocate for the poor, children’s rights, education, and social reforms, highlighting many of these issues in his literary works. But who was this storyteller when he wasn’t writing best-sellers or captivating audiences? Well, that is what you are here to find out! So let’s get rolling with episode 26 and discuss the life of Charles Dickens.