David Copperfield

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. At twelve, he was sent to work, after his father was imprisoned for debt; the experiences from this time always haunted him. After a spell as a parliamentary reporter Dickens began writing novels. Published in serial form, his work grew rapidly in popularity beginning with The Pickwick Papers. After Barnaby Rudge (1841), Dickens visited America. He returned disillusioned and his work became more serious and radical. His last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, was never completed and he died in 1870.