Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was born in Portsmouth, England, and spent portions of his childhood in London and Chatham, Kent. When his father was imprisoned for debt, the young Dickens was sent to work in a blacking warehouse, an experience that shaped his understanding of poverty and class for the rest of his life. After working as a law clerk and parliamentary reporter, he achieved sudden fame with The Pickwick Papers (1836-37). His subsequent career produced some of the most beloved novels in the English language, including Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Bleak House, Great Expectations, and David Copperfield, which he described as his favourite child. Dickens was also a tireless editor, public reader, and social reformer who used his literary platform to advocate for the poor and vulnerable throughout Victorian England.