Charles Dickens' Birthday Anniversary

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Celebrate the 214th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens at his first home, right here in Portsmouth.

Every year the Charles Dickens' Birthplace Museum hosts a special event to honour the great author, showcase his work and celebrate his connection to the city.

The event will be attended by the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, who will lay a wreath at the front door of the home on Old Commercial Road and lead the crowd in three cheers. There will also be members of the Dickens Fellowship Portsmouth Branch on hand to give readings throughout the day.

Once the celebrations conclude, the museum will be open for entry. Please note, due to the size of the museum and space restrictions inside, the indoor capacity will be limited. If you plan to go inside the museum, please allow plenty of time for your visit and prepare to queue outside.

'The Dress of Great Expectations' by Roo Abrook

As well as the celebration at the Charles Dickens' Birthplace Museum, the anniversary will be marked at Portsmouth Natural History Museum, with the unveiling of a dress created using pages from vintage editions of Dickens' Great Expectations.

Created by Southsea artist Roo Abrook, The Dress of Great Expectations is an interactive art installation that explores rejection and resilience, and is inspired by Miss Havisham from Dickens' famous novel.

Roo and local poet Han Newton from Pompey Poetry Party collaborated with local community female support groups Project W and St James’s Society, who support people in substance recovery. Their voices have been recorded into painted card butterflies which visitors can hear as part of the exhibition.

The installation features Miss Havisham’s wedding dress, re-worked using pages from vintage editions of Great Expectations, alongside gloves, slippers, and other accessories. Her wedding bouquet and flowers have been created by Sally Biloshiskaya of Petal and Pchelka.

An additional interactive installation, by Thomas Buckley and Play Office, invites the public to share words reflecting on rejection and resilience. Local emerging artist Emelie-Jane Martin-Rivers has created her own response to the project.

The project is a part of ‘In Our Words’ literacy and literature programming by Portsmouth Creates and has been awarded funding by Arts Council England.