A Christmas Carol

First published on 19 December 1843 and written at a time of decline in festive tradition, A Christmas Carol became an instant classic. It reinforced expectations for Christmas Day as a time of peace and goodwill to all men. The deluxe silk bound gift edition features the original artworks commissioned by Dickens himself, and is secured in an elegant slipcase, making it an ideal gift.

Charles Dickens was born in 1812 near Portsmouth where his father was a clerk in the navy pay office. The family moved to London in 1823, but their fortunes were severely impaired. Dickens was sent to work in a blacking-warehouse when his father was imprisoned for debt. Both experiences deeply affected the future novelist. In 1833 he began contributing stories to newspapers and magazines, and in 1836 started the serial publication of Pickwick Papers. Thereafter, Dickens published his major novels over the course of the next twenty years, from Nicholas Nickleby to Little Dorrit. He also edited the journals Household Words and All the Year Round. Dickens died in June 1870.